Being underweight can be frustrating and discouraging. It can lead to physical feelings of weakness and emotional feelings of low self-esteem. It takes planning and effort to get body weight up to normal. Sometimes it requires professional help from a registered dietitian and a family physician.
Rule Out Physical Problems
The most important step is to first find out if there is an underlying medical condition. Weight will be below normal if food is not absorbed well, which can occur in intestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease or celiac sprue. Parasites could be present, or some type of cancer could be responsible for robbing the body of nutrients, including calories. Hyperthyroidism is another medical condition that causes low body weight; an overactive thyroid gland speeds up the body's metabolism.
Focus on Eating More
The most likely reason for being underweight is not eating enough food. At least three to five meals should be consumed each day. Meals are skipped for different reasons. A busy schedule, inadequate finances, working a night shift or not feeling hungry can cause one or more meals to be missed each day, leaving out hundreds of calories that are needed to maintain an ideal weight. Planning each meal ahead of time and having foods easily accessible that require little preparation can help. Sandwiches, packages of peanut butter crackers, cartons of yogurt or frozen dinners make it easy to get in a few hundred nutritious calories quickly and easily.
Find Ways to Ingest More Calories
It is possible for a person to eat several times a day and still get inadequate energy to maintain a healthy weight. In this case high-calorie items can be added into foods, thereby increasing the caloric content. Powdered milk can be added to soups, meatloaf and mashed potatoes; butter can be melted onto breads and vegetables; and cheese can be sprinkled into sandwiches and casseroles. Gravies, creams and sauces poured over foods add extra calories to promote weight gain.
Consider Supplemental Nutrition Beverages
If it is too difficult to eat large enough meals often enough, commercial nutritional supplements can help. These beverages provide 250 to 450 calories per serving and usually come in the form of a milky shake. They also contain numerous vitamins and minerals and can act as a complete meal replacement. Consuming two to three per day will assure adequate caloric and nutrient intake when food intake is poor.
Consult With a Physician Regarding Medications
Medications are available to either reduce or stimulate appetite. If a prescribed medication is causing loss of appetite, the physician may be able to prescribe a suitable substitute. If a physical condition, a prescribed treatment or an episode of depression results in poor appetite, an appetite stimulant may be prescribed. These work to make a person hungrier and lead to a higher calorie intake to replace lost weight.
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