Ask your physician about the need for supplements. A basic vitamin and mineral supplement, providing 100% of the RDA may be necessary depending on current nutritional status. ![]() The Nutrition Facts panel on the food label can also help with choosing nutritious foods to supply the extra calories needed for gaining weight. The chart on page 3 provides suggestions for increasing calories by 500 to 1000 each day. It takes an extra 3500 calories to gain one pound of body weight. After weight gain goals are achieved a healthy but lower fat diet is recommended.Īn increase of at least 500 to 1000 calories each day will promote a one to two pound weight gain per week. Preferably, fat sources should primarily be from plant sources such as vegetable oils, margarines not containing trans fatty acids, and nuts or seeds. Ounce for ounce, fat has more than twice the calories of either carbohydrate or protein. Where serious underweight is a problem, weight gain can be best achieved by concentrating on foods with either a higher calorie or fat content. Choose dairy products, meats, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, breads, rice and pasta. The goal is to increase the number of calories in the diet while making healthful choices from a variety of foods. The nutrition considerations of a healthful diet still apply when gaining weight is desired. Medical problems such as depression or eating disorders must be addressed and treatment underway before weight gain will occur. To gain body weight the number of calories consumed in the diet must exceed the number of calories the body needs to maintain its current weight. Severe depression can also affect the appetite, resulting in weight loss. Underweight can be caused by heredity, a serious illness, not eating enough, or a combination of intense ongoing exercise and insufficient calories in the diet. Increasing calories may be recommended for persons who are underweight, athletes who want to gain weight to enhance performance or those whose calorie needs are increased due to a poor health condition.
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