Being underweight means that you are below the healthy weight range — the weight that research has shown you need to be for your body to function properly. Besides that, being outside of this range, whether overweight or underweight, can have serious consequences for your health.
Underweight people are at risk for developing the same range of medical issues as their overweight counterparts. People who are underweight may not be getting enough of the nutrients they need to have strong muscles, skin, and hair.
Medical professionals can recommend therapies to help their patients gain weight, even if they have a genetic tendency or a medical condition that prohibits them from doing so.
However, in this blog, we will discuss what being underweight means.
Symptoms of being underweight
A few underweight individuals find they become constantly ill or feel extremely drained. That might be because they are not getting every one of the supplements they need from their diet. They may likewise find their hair gets more slender or falls out, their skin gets extremely dry, and it impacts their teeth.
Underweight children may not develop normally for their age. Being underweight can cause a variety of health issues, including:
- Osteoporosis
- Infections that are more difficult to combat
- Anemia
- Women may experience irregular periods, or menstruation may cease entirely.
- Pregnancy complications, such as difficulty conceiving or an increased risk of preterm labor,
- Heart issues
Additionally, being underweight can be particularly dangerous, as it raises their risk of breaking a bone and falling ill.
Causes of being underweight
An individual might be underweight for different reasons. Multiple underlying causes may be linked at times. Various variables can contribute to being underweight, including:
- Family history
Certain individuals have a normally low BMI because of acquired physical qualities.
- A high metabolism
An individual with quick digestion probably won’t gain a lot of weight in any event, while eating fatty food varieties.
- Frequent physical activity
Competitors or individuals who perform at elevated degrees of active work, like sprinters, may consume huge measures of calories that outcome in low body weight.
- Physical illness or chronic disease
Some illness types can cause customary queasiness, retching, and loss of bowel control, making it challenging to put on weight. Different circumstances might diminish an individual’s craving, so they don’t want to eat. Besides that, models incorporate malignant growth, diabetes, thyroid problems, and stomach-related conditions, like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
- Mental illness
A person’s ability to eat may be affected by mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia. Each of these conditions, furthermore, has the potential to influence both appetite and self-perception.
How can I determine if I’m underweight?
One of the best measures of a healthy weight is the body mass index (BMI). Both your height and weight are used to arrive at this conclusion.
- Adults should aim for a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9.
- If your body mass index (BMI) is less than 18.5, you are considered underweight.
Also, note that BMI computations don’t make a difference similarly to certain individuals. For instance, competitors, individuals of a few ethnic foundations, and pregnant ladies shouldn’t depend on their BMI to compute whether they are underweight. Assuming you figure you may be at one of these gatherings, ask your primary care physician for guidance.
On the other hand, one can typically use growth charts to gauge a child’s weight. These determine a child’s growth in comparison to what one would predict for girls and boys their age.
Treatment for being underweight
However, here are some of the following diets for weight gain, which include:
- Having several small meals throughout the day
A person may be underweight because they are unable to eat large meals. A person can instead eat several small meals throughout the day.
- Adding snacks
Snacks that are high in protein and have a lot of healthy carbs like whole grains can help you gain weight. Foods like peanut butter crackers, protein bars, trail mix, pita chips, hummus, and almonds are all good options.
- including additional foods
A person can incorporate calorie-dense food sources into their regular diet by scattering almond pieces over their breakfast cereal or yogurt, sprinkling sunflower or chia seeds over their salad or bowl of soup, or spreading nut margarine on whole-grain bread.
- Avoiding empty calories
Consuming high-calorie foods may result in weight gain, but they also contain extra fat that may have negative effects on the heart and blood vessels. foods that are salty and sweet that one should avoid.
The final word
A person should always aim to maintain a healthy life. Besides that, a good diet keeps a person away from all health issues and also controls their weight. This blog will tell you about how one can increase weight if he/she is underweight.
