UNDERWEIGHT AND UNDERNOURISHED

For some young adults, the lack of adequate body weight is a serious concern, particularly for those who have inherited a tendency to thinness.  These people would likely fall into a BMI Category of less than 18.5 and be from 10% to 20% below normal on a standard height-weight table.  Males tend to be particularly concerned with too thin a body type, preferring a lean, muscular V-shape appearance.

Nutritionists believe that the healthiest way to gain weight is to increase the intake of calorie-dense food.  These foods are characterized by high fat density resulting from high levels of vegetable fats (polyunsaturated fats).  Foods that meet this requirement are dried fruits, bananas, nuts, granola, and cheeses made from low-fat milk.  These foods should be consumed later in a meal so that the onset of satiety that quickly follows eating fat-rich foods does not occur.  The current recommendation is to eat three calorie-dense meals of moderate size per day, interspersed with two or three substantial snacks.  Using the Food Guide Pyramid as a guide, underweight people should eat the highest number of recommended servings for each group.

A second component of weight gain for those who are underweight is an exercise program that uses weight training activities intended to increase muscle mass.   The use of anabolic drugs without highly competent medical supervision has no role in healthful weight gain.  In addition, carefully monitored aerobic activity should be undertaken in sessions that adequately maintain heart-lung health.  At the same time, unnecessary activity that expands calories should be restricted.

For those who cannot gain weight, even by using these approaches, a medical evaluation may offer an explanation.  If no medical reason can be found, the person must begin to accept the reality of his or her unique body type.

When individuals fall below 80% of their desirable weight on standard height-weight tables and display BMI rates from 16 to 10, it is highly probable that they are not only underweight but, more important, undernourished.  This condition suggests clinically significant deficiencies in both the quantity of food being consumed and its nutritional value.  Whether the undernourishment is associated with anorexia nervosa, other medical conditions characterized by weight loss (such as irritable bowel disease), or poverty or famine, affected people are in danger of death from starvation.