Having a body mass index (BMI) under 18.5 is the clinical definition of being underweight. According to estimates from 10 Reliable Sources, this is less than the body mass required to maintain good health.
However, keep in mind that the BMI scale, which solely considers weight and height, has numerous flaws. Muscle mass is not taken into consideration.
People with various BMIs and body types can nevertheless be in good health. According to this scale, being underweight does not always indicate that you have a health issue.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that women are nearly twice as likely as men to be underweight. Men made up 1.3% of participants in a U.S. study, while women made up 2%.
The root causes of underweight
Weight loss can result from a number of medical issues, including:
Anorexia nervosa, a severe mental illness, is one example of an eating disorder (20Trusted Source).
Thyroid issues: Hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, can speed up metabolism and result in unhealthful weight loss (21Trusted Source).
The most serious gluten-related condition is celiac disease. The prevalence of celiac disease has increased overall during the past two centuries (22Trusted Source).
Diabetes: Uncontrolled diabetes, especially type 1, can cause drastic weight loss (23Trusted Source).
The most crucial thing you can do to gain weight is to consume more calories than your body requires, called a calorie surplus.
Using this calorie calculator, you may estimate your daily caloric requirements.
According to the calculator, you should aim to consume 300–500 calories more each day than you expend if you want to gain weight gradually and steadily. Aim for approximately 700–1,000 more calories per day above your maintenance range if you want to acquire weight quickly.
Remember that calorie estimators are just that—estimates. Give or take a few hundred calories every day, depending on your needs.
Although you don't have to monitor calories forever, doing so for the first few days or weeks can be beneficial.
You should consume more protein.
For optimum growth, development, and human health, a sufficient intake of high-quality proteins from animal products is necessary (29Trusted Source).
Increasing protein will enhance lean muscle mass, according to a 2020 study of 23 people (30Trusted Source).
The Recommended Dietary Allowance of protein is between 1 and 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (30Trusted Source) to enhance skeletal and muscular growth and physical strength in healthy adults with little to moderate physical activity.
Healthy people may consume up to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, with a maximum of 3.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Among the foods high in protein include meats, fish, eggs, and various dairy items
Boost your consumption of fat and carbohydrates.
When attempting to reduce weight, many people restrict their intake of carbs or fat.
As it will be more difficult to consume enough calories, this may make it difficult to gain weight.
If gaining weight is a priority for you, eat lots of high-carb and high-fat foods. Each meal should have a good amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Avoid eating regimens like intermittent fasting, for example. This diet can be beneficial for losing weight and for other reasons, but it can make it much more difficult to consume enough calories to gain weight (33Trusted Source).
Eat at least three meals a day and where possible, add energy-dense snacks
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