Here ’s the Healthiest Way to Gain Weight

For most Americans with weight issues, the problem is carrying around too much , not too little. While obesity rates have surged in North America since the 1970s, the proportion of underweight people has remained low—less than 5% of the population, according to a study in The Lancet. These bodyweight trends mean that most health experts are focused on helping people lose weight to avoid disease. But there are also some potentially serious health consequences associated with being clinically underweight, which is usually defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 or below. “There are many epidemiologic studies that indicate that underweight in adults and older people is associated with higher risk of death or mortality,” says Kay-Tee Khaw, a professor of clinical gerontology at the University of Cambridge in the UK. There are a range of possible explanations why. For some, a low BMI coupled with unexplained weight loss may be an indication of an underlying medical condition such as cancer. Also, bone and muscle (not just fat) contribute to body weight and BMI. Being underweight may be an indicator of loss of bone and muscle mass—and therefore frailty—particularly in older adults, Khaw says. Frailty can increase a person’s risks for weakness, falls, broken bones and other health problems. Another explanation: People who are naturally very slim may feel free to eat more junk food, smoke, skip exercise or engage in other unhealthy behav...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Diet/Nutrition Source Type: news