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Doctors say that being thin is not necessarily healthy. According to studies, people with slightly higher BMI have lower mortality rates. If you want to gain weight, you should eat 300 to 500 more calories per day, combine it with strength training, and pay attention to your waist circumference and underlying diseases.
Many people want a slim body, but does being overweight lead to a longer life? Doctors say that neither being too thin nor being too fat is bad. One study analyzed based on BMI and found that people who are slightly overweight have the lowest mortality rates, presenting an “obesity paradox”. If a thin person wants to gain weight, he can eat an extra portion of protein in the food. If they eat 500 calories more per day, their weight may increase by about half a kilogram per week.
taiwandiabetes Ou Hongyi, president of the Health Education Association and director of the department of endocrinology and metabolism at National Cheng Kung University Hospital, said previous studies based on BMI analysis found that people who were slightly overweight had the lowest mortality rates. This phenomenon is called the “obesity paradox.” One possible reason is that during the evolution of the human body, moderate fat storage helps survive in nutritionally deficient environments such as famine.
If you are naturally thin and want to gain weight, Ou Hongyi recommends that you first continuously record your diet on weekdays and holidays, including what you eat and drink, and then submit it to a nutritionist for evaluation to find out which food is insufficient and choose a diet adjustment method that is easy to implement. It is generally recommended to add 300 to 500 calories a day, such as adding an extra portion of protein or main meal to meals, or adding snacks between meals, such as sugar-free soy milk, peanut butter toast, yogurt with nuts, or adding tofu to meals.
Ou Hongyi explained that if ordinary people want to lose weight, it is generally recommended to reduce 500 calories a day, and they can lose half a kilogram in a week. So people who want to gain weight can increase 500 calories a day and gain half a kilo in a week.
However, you cannot gain weight just by eating. Ou Hongyi emphasized that weight gain should be combined with muscle strength training to retain the nutrients eaten and help increase muscle rather than just increasing fat. Diet doesn’t just mean eating too much sugar and high fat foods. Although you may gain weight in the short term, it can also increase blood sugar and cholesterol.
Ou Hongyi explained that many people do not seek medical treatment because they are too thin. Instead, it is common for seniors ages 60 to 65 to worry that they are too thin, or that their family members will think they are sick if they lose a little weight due to taking diabetes medications. At this time, we typically evaluate whether the elder has metabolic risks such as diabetes, heart disease, or kidney disease, and then decide whether he needs to gain weight and how many calories are appropriate.
Furthermore, you cannot determine whether you are too thin or not by looking at BMI alone. Ou Hongyi said that BMI cannot distinguish between muscle and fat. For example, people with high muscle mass and people who are obese may have the same BMI. Therefore, waist circumference should be used to evaluate visceral fat. Waist circumference should be less than 90 cm for men and less than 80 cm for women. Waist-to-hip ratio or waist-to-height ratio can also be evaluated if necessary.
People who are naturally thin do not need to seek medical treatment. However, Ou Hongyi pointed out that if there is a weight loss of more than 5% within 6 months without intentional weight loss, special attention should be paid, especially if there is a decrease in food intake, muscle mass or daily activity capacity at the same time, further investigation should be done. Common causes of sudden weight loss in young people include hyperthyroidism, in which patients may eat large amounts but keep losing weight; Diabetes can also cause weight loss, as well as symptoms like polyuria. Additionally, gastrointestinal problems like prolonged diarrhea and greasy stools can also affect nutrient absorption.
Ou Hongyi reminded that if your weight suddenly decreases, you should not only find out the reasons behind it, but also pay attention to issues such as muscle loss and decreased bone density. If an elder has never had any problems walking or climbing stairs, but has recently begun to struggle to get up and walk slowly, he or she may have insufficient muscle strength or sarcopenia and should be evaluated early to avoid increasing the risk of falls and fractures.
Summary FAQ
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Ou Hongyi said that some BMI studies have shown that slightly overweight people have the lowest mortality rate, which may be related to the development of the human body. Moderate fat storage helps to cope with undernutrition environments such as famine, creating the obesity paradox.
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You can first record your diet on weekdays and holidays, and then let the nutritionist detect deficiencies. It is recommended to add 300 to 500 calories per day, such as an extra portion of protein, to main meals or snacks, and make adjustments in an easy-to-execute way.
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Weight gain cannot depend solely on a high-sugar and high-fat diet, but must also be combined with strength training to increase muscle rather than fat. Additionally, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and disease risks should be considered to avoid increasing blood sugar and cholesterol.
