Being skinny or underweight is equivalently as dangerous as being obese, being underweight causes certain health risks like decreased immunity, fertility and growth issues. Usually, it is categorized by the Body Mass Index (BMI) as to who is underweight and who is not. A BMI less than 18.5 is known to be underweight.

Decades ago, our ancestors had given us everything we needed. They never required medicines or surgeries. They just ate normal food and were healthy. They knew which fruit or vegetable does what good to the body. They just knew how to balance this. Today, we find a lot of food supplements and even steroidal drugs for weight gain. These drugs are way too expensive too.

Usually, underweight people feel full after a small meal. The stomach shrinks according to the practice, and small stomachs are the reason to be full early. Dt. Ashu Gupta suggests that there’s no need for medicines to gain weight or anything. Just our food itself is the best medication. All we need to do is change the diet. Well, this doesn’t mean underweight people have to keep on eating food. It is also important what they eat. It’s not like you start eating potato chips all the time and sit on the couch, waiting for yourself to gain weight. There are two types of fat – the weak one and a strong one. Everyone wants to be healthy. So, we need to supply our muscles with proper nutrients. Hence, nutrient-rich and high caloric foods must be preferred. Foods that contain carbohydrates, vitamins and proteins must be there in at least one meal a day. One of the most traditional ways and healthy ways to gain weight is drinking banana milkshake every day. Banana has way more nutrients than a person can imagine, and banana milkshake plus a light workout gives the best shape to the body too. Consuming dairy products helps a lot. Dairy products like ghee, ice creams, full cream milk, can help put on weight. These contain high amounts of fat. Bread with Peanut butter is an excellent weight gain combo that many prefer. 

Meanwhile, it is also a point to be kept in mind that gaining weight shouldn’t happen all of a sudden. It should be slow and gradual. Chances are there that stretch marks would appear if weight is gained too soon.  

The point is not just gaining fat, but it is about the healthy fat that a person needs to grow up to. Having nutrient-rich food alone is never enough. Along with such kind of meals, workouts are important too, so that, muscles also develop. It may also increase your appetite so that you can eat more. It will also balance the digestive stress given to the body. For better results, Dt. Ashu Gupta recommends having small amounts of food in very small intervals. By doing so, you can have more calories and nutrients. Meanwhile, you won’t feel full always too. The body shall adapt to this over time. Slowly, going from 1000 calories per day to 3000 calories per day would become easier. 

Start using coconut oil in cooking food – this is again one of the most traditional practices in states like Kerala. Coconut has adequate nutrition that would be needed for the body. It contains fat, potassium, carbohydrate, iron, vitamin B, vitamin C, magnesium and calcium. Pure cow ghee directly gives you fat. Be it any food,  add ghee to it, it tastes better and also helps in our mission. A proper Indian meal caters all the needs of the body. Especially being an Indian, we’re lucky that we can have it with ease. Just the way of having it is needed to change. One more important thing is that you need to keep an eye on your sleep cycle also. You need at least 8 hours of sleep a day. Last but not least, will power and determination is the most important. Without this, nothing would workout!