Healthy Ways to Gain Weight

Do you find it hard to gain weight? If so, you're probably the envy of family and friends. It seems as if you can eat as many cheeseburgers and chocolate bars as you would like, and still not register an ounce.

Yet little do people know how much you'd love to put meat on your bones, perhaps to feel less lanky, to be able to wear certain clothes without appearing scrawny, or to just be healthier.

Ken Chuk is one such person. He is a 32-year-old finance manager who wishes he could put on a business suit without looking like he just got out of college. His fast metabolism and tendency to feel full with smaller portions, however, make it hard for him to add anything to his 5' 11", 140-pound frame. He's tried to lift weights, suck down protein shakes, and stuff himself with ice cream, cookies, or cereal at bedtime -- all to no avail.

"Everyone in my family is thin," explains the New York native. "I've given up trying to gain weight because I figure it will happen eventually."

Chuk is right in that all of us will tend to become heavier as we age, but health experts say there are plenty of things people can do now to build critical mass.

The Skinny on the Underweight

What's so wrong with being too thin when it seems to be a non-problem compared with obesity? The truth is that being underweight has its own risks.

Those who are extremely lean tend to have weaker immune systems, making them prone to infections, surgical complications, and slower recovery times for illness. They tend to have low muscle mass, and less than ideal hair, teeth, and skin composition. They may have disruptions in the ability to regulate hormones and protect bone health, and women could become unable to menstruate.

All of this could be avoided by maintaining a healthy weight, a measure that obviously differs from person to person. As a rough rule of thumb, women should be at least 105 pounds for the first five feet of height, and another five pounds per inch after that; men should be at least 106 pounds for the first five feet, and an added six pounds per inch, says Dan Heinemann, MD, a board member of the American Academy of Family physicians.

Another gauge could be an individual's body mass index (BMI), which is a system to categorize size based on a person's height and weight. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reports that people with normal weight have a BMI of 18.5-24.9. Anything below that is underweight, and anything above is overweight (25-29.9) or obese (30 or greater).

Why So Thin?

There are many reasons why people may find it hard to gain weight. Genetics can obviously play a role, but individual personalities and the environment can be strong factors.