Do you have a bad appetite and find it hard to gain extra calories from eating?
Do you eat a lot of food and don’t gain weight?
It’s important to recognize the extent of your fitness according to your weight as there is an indicator for weight and height in a very simple equation in which we can come out
With an exact figure that points out your case and your ranking in the indicator.
Body mass indicator = the weight in kilograms / square meters of the height
And according to the result of this equation the case is evaluated according to the following divisions:
Less than 20 … the weight is under the normal
From 20-25 … normal
More than 25 … overweight than the average?
What is thinness?
A person could be described as thin when the body mass indicator is less than 20.
Reasons for thinness
There are many reasons for thinness, we will mention a few:
- Bad eating habits acquired since childhood
- Genetic reasons
- Following special dietary systems that are made for losing weight and keep following them till it reaches thinness then not being able to get back to the normal weight.
- Having certain physical illnesses, like:
- 1. Hyper thyroid.
2. Severe anemia.
3. Some digestive system diseases that prevent the absorption of digested foods.
4. Having cancers or as a result of treating them. - Some psychological illnesses, like:
1. Severe depression that could cause loss of appetite.
2. Obsession that makes a patient does not feel hungry.
3. Anorexia nervosa.
4. Bulimia nervosa.
When does thinness become a problem that has to be dealt with?
Not every thinness is a disease, we could start treating thinness as a disease in case it affects the normal body functions like the ability to do normal daily chores.
How do you know whether or not thinness is an illness or not?
The answer is that we have to make the following tests:
- A whole blood tests.
- A full analysis of feces.
- An entire urine analysis.
- Analysis of liver and kidney function
And through these tests the reason will be identified and therefore treated.
Treating thinness
It’s hard on the extra thin person to gain weight more than the regular person or even the obese one, and that goes back to genetic inheritances or because of excess metabolism or you have less fat cells count or even for extreme height or simply because not keen on eating.
That’s why it is necessary to the keep the work ongoing and not to get bored of attempts.
The thinness patient needs a medical consultancy to make sure he doesn’t have any of the diseases that causes thinness and then start treating it, so for example anemia patients tend to need special tests to identify the reason for the anemia and start treating it first, and if it lack of iron we administer iron pills that compensates the lacking, but if it is because of heavy bleeding during PMS then the lady would need to be treated by a gynecologist to know the reason behind this heavy bleeding and treat it first.
And the same goes for the excessive thyroid patient who needs to make a test to analyze the hormone levels in the blood then arrange for the proper treatment for it to discourage the high hormone.
After making sure of the safety of the thin patient from all the organic and physical diseases comes in the role of the treatment through regular nutrition and exercising to reach the normal weight.
Some good advice about gaining weight
1. Regular consulting with a nutritionist who calculates the calories needed according to the weight, height, gender, and activity and the amount weight that he wants to gain per week.
2. Following the suggestions of the food pyramid in regards of the daily portions which are as follows:
- Portions of vegetables
- 2-4 portions of fruits
- 2-3 of milk and its extracts like yoghurt and cheese
- 6-11 portions of bread, grains, rice, and pasta
- 2-3 portions of meat, fish, and legumes
- Fats, oils, sweets are used with caution and with small quantities.
- Portions could be identified through the following:
- a portion from the group of bread and grains are equivalent to a slice of bread or half a cup of rice or cooked pasta
- a portion of vegetables is equivalent to half a cup of vegetables or one medium sized orange or one medium sized apple or three quarters cup of juice
- a portion of the dairy group is equivalent to a cup of milk
- a portion of meat is equivalent to a small piece of meat or chicken or fish or a cup and a half of cooked legumes
3. It is recommended to eat small multiple meals instead of less big meal for example the thinness patient needs three main courses and three small snacks, the first one in between breakfast and lunch, the second between lunch and dinner, and the last before bedtime.
4. Eating nutrient foods that are full of energy like a fruit and milk mixture “cocktails” and specially banana cocktails and pastries like pies and cookies.
5. Starting the course with the main dish and keeping the salad and the fruits to the end of the meal.
6. Eating fruits and vegetables is a must so as to provide the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals for its health.
7. Eat some desserts by the end of the meal or exchange it with a cream, jam, or honey sandwich.
8. Adding margarine to the foods while cooking and that’s to increase the calories.
9. Adding olive oil to the salads
10. Adding honey to the milk and the hot drinks
11. Eating nuts and dried fruits in the smaller meals or adding them to the salads or the rice.
12. Having a glass of milk with lunch and dinner
13. Adding grated cheese to the rice, pasta, and white cheese cubes to the salad.
14. Eating with company and in the open air.
15. Using butter or margarine to sandwiches while preparing them before putting cheese or peanut butter and adding jam or honey afterwards
16. Drinking full cream milk or the doubled cream milk which is prepared through adding third of a cup of skimmed powder milk to a cup of full cream milk which makes it contain 50% more calories than the normal full cream milk and a double portion of proteins than that in a full cream milk.
17. Avoid drinking water while eating because it weakens the digestive enzymes and hinders the process of digestion and it fills the stomach and makes the thinness patient feels full really quick.
18. Chewing food slowly and sufficiently
19. Trying to add some changes to the meals so as not to get bored
20. Working out regularly since playing sports strengthens the muscles and focuses the gained weight in the muscles instead of increasing the fats it also opens the appetite and reduce the impact of psychological stress on public health
21. Getting exposed to the sun which enhances the health and opens the appetite
22. Consulting with a doctor when it comes to using some enriched pills or vitamins and minerals in the case of inadequate diets on these terms
23. Trying to avoid psychological stress and problems that weakens the appetite and thus reduces the weight.
