Indications For High-calorie Diets

While most people struggle to eat fewer calories to lose weight, some struggle to eat more calories to gain weight or maintain their current weight. A high-calorie diet increases your usual intake by an additional 500 to 1,000 calories a day, according to the authors of "Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy." There are a number of reasons why you may need to follow a high-calorie diet.

Medical Conditions

Some medical conditions require a high-calorie diet to help maintain or promote weight gain. People with liver disease are at risk of malnutrition due to poor intake and altered nutrient metabolism. To meet their needs, most people with liver disease should increase the amount of calories they eat each day. People with Huntington's Disease have higher calorie needs because of their constant fidgeting which increases their metabolic rate. Cancer patients tend to have higher calorie needs because of a poor appetite related to treatment. Eating more calorie-dense foods, such as whole milk, cheese and nuts, can help you increase your calorie intake when you have a poor appetite.

Severe Burns

To promote healing and prevent infection, people with severe burns need to eat a high-calorie diet. Depending on the size and degree of the wound, calorie needs can increase as much as 100 percent above your normal needs, according to "Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy." In addition to healing and prevention of wound infection, burn patients must eat enough to preserve their lean body mass and maintain their weight.

Underweight

While we often think of obesity as a risk factor for chronic illness and early death, being underweight can also increase your risk of sickness. Underweight is defined as being 15 to 20 percent below an acceptable weight standard, according to "Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy." If you are underweight, following a high-calorie diet can help you gain weight to an acceptable and healthy level.

Competitive Athletics

Competitive athletes spend most of their day exercising and training and need to follow a high-calorie diet to help them maintain their weight and energy levels. Some athletes may need to increase their daily caloric intake by as much as 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day. Closely monitor your weight to assess the adequacy of your caloric intake. If you are losing weight on your current diet, you need to increase your intake and if you are gaining weight, you need to decrease your intake.