Fitness seems to be back in trend as you see a lot of movie stars, Instagram influencers, and even common people working on their fitness.
All of this is under the banner of a healthy earth. This is a really good initiative as a fitter population would eliminate a lot of disasters.
However, the flip side to this is that a lot of people are gaining weight and if someone stops working out. This weight gain can be a big problem.
Hence, it is important to know whether you need to gain weight for your health or not?
Are you underweight?
The best way is to determine whether you are underweight or not. Normally weight gaining is associated with people who are underweight or athletes.
The second category has personal trainer, but if you are underweight, all you will get is a joke on how you will fly away in the air, etc.
The word is thrown around a lot, so if you want the stereotype. Just open your browser and search for Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI is a scientifically proven method to determine your body weight. It depends on your gender, age, and height.
A BMI scale is divided into four parts :
1. 18.5 or less: Underweight
2. 18.5 to 24.9: Normal Weight
3. 25.0 to 29.9: Overweight
4. 30.0 or higher: Obese
These are standardized BMI scores. If you score less than 18.5, then you definitely need to gain weight. You need to keep in mind that BMI isn’t a diagnostic measure. It is just a classification system.
So, if your BMI falls below 18.5, you are not necessarily under any danger due to your weight. You can visit a doctor and ask him to asses your weight and the risk involved in it. Many times, your doctor might not even suggest weight gain.
Another way you can use is the body fat percent. This will give you a better idea of your body size. If you are a woman, your body fat measurement should be at least 10% - 13% for essential body functions. In the case of men, the percent should be a minimum of 2% – 5%.
Symptoms of Being Underweight :
Normally people judge your weight depending on your physical appearance. There are some underlying symptoms that your body sends out as signals.
For example, veiny arms in a thin guy are often seen as an example of being underweight. However, bodybuilders also have veiny arms. Are they underweight as well?
Similarly, many people complain that their joints look way larger. Now, if you are underweight, and carry very little muscle mass.
Then it is very probable that your bones and joints would look way more prominent. But this doesn’t mean that having large bones or joints indicates definite underweight.
So, here are symptoms that you can associate with being underweight:
1. Fragile bones
2. Irregular menstrual periods or problems getting pregnant
3. Hair loss
4. Weak immune system
5. Dizziness or fatigue from anemia
6. Poor growth and development, especially in children
So, if you feel any of these symptoms, then you should check yourself for malnutrition as you are at a high risk of being underweight. This can definitely affect your health and, in worse ways, in many cases.
What Should I Do If I Am Underweight?
Now that we have confirmed that you are underweight. The next step is to visit a doctor and let him assess the cause of your low body weight.
This checkup will help find out if the conditions are due to cancer, thyroid disease, digestive problems, or medications. Or it is a behavioral cause of underweight, such as stress or depression.
Many times, an individual is underweight due to its genetics, activity level, or he doesn’t eat enough. But to cure the situation, you need to find the cause first.
How to Gain Weight and Stay Healthy?
If you visit a doctor, he would definitely suggest ways to put on weight. These methods usually include abandoning fast food, eating healthy and nutritious food.
The healthier way is to increase your calorie intake by eating food with a good source of proteins, grains, and healthy fats.
The new diet might feel boring and repetitive, but you need to shrug this initial resistance, and you would gain weight in a healthy way.