The ultimate resource about gaining weight and putting on muscle. Learn about eating disorders, metabolism, appetite, and everything else that has to do with weight gaining.

The Disaster of Being Too Scrawny

The media subjects us daily to the problems of obesity – the health implications, the cost to the health service in treating health complications, and the difficulty of providing large enough and strong enough seating in public transport, to name but a few. However, there is much less coverage on the problems of being underweight.

Being under weight is just as difficult to deal with, and this website is designed specifically to help those needing to know how to gain weight safely. You may be looking for help with an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa, or needing help with specific nutrition to get over something that has rendered you underweight, for example, after chemotherapy. It could be that you are happy with your shape, but need to put on muscle. There are many reasons for people to be underweight and this site will help you to find the specific reason and the help you are looking for.

The BMI (Body Mass Index) is used as an indicator for over- and under-weight levels. The formula for calculating this and how to read the results can be found elsewhere on the site. However, a BMI of 18.5 or less is considered underweight. This may be due to inadequate servings of food, or poor nutrition. It is easy to think that one is eating a healthy diet, but it may be lacking in the necessary vitamins and minerals for good health.

Unfortunately, the media bombards us with pictures of skinny celebrities and painfully thin catwalk models. The emphasis on women’s bodies is that they should be thin, rather than slim. This sends the completely wrong message to women and, in particular, to young girls, who try to emulate their idols. It is not unknown for children as young as 8 to have eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.

Some of the damage to the body caused by inadequate nutrition can never be reversed. Osteoporosis (a condition where the bone becomes porous and is easily shattered) is normally found in the elderly. However, a young person whose diet is profoundly inadequate can develop osteoporosis in his or her 20s, and be at risk of fractures and spinal problems for the rest of his/her life.

Underweight people usually have problems with their self-image, seeing themselves as ‘fat’ or ‘normal’ whereas others see a person with a manifest eating disorder. No matter how thin they are, it is never enough, and they hate themselves for not being able to control their appearance. Self-esteem is abnormally low, and self-confidence disappears. The super-thin will dress to disguise their bodies, rather than to enhance them.

Young men typically want to bulk up their bodies with muscle, and yet they have so little knowledge about how to achieve this, that they can make themselves ill. Cooking skills are not often taught to young men, who tend to exist on junk food and sugary drinks. These contain virtually no complex carbohydrates (such as bananas), but provide energy just from the sugar content. Understanding food content goes a long way to aiding a healthy diet, and you will find articles on this website to assist you.

If you are struggling with weight gain, you will find like-minded people on our forum. Peer group support is very helpful in boosting your self-confidence, so take a look at the subjects and discussions here.

Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are mental illnesses that need medical help, and you are advised to seek it. However, look through the resources in our website and join the discussions in our forum for help to find the medical help you need, as well as to find empathetic people willing to aid you.

Above all, remember that it is possible to eat a healthy diet, consisting of three meals per day with healthy snacks in between, without becoming obese. It is all a matter of balancing your input in terms of calories, with your output in terms of exercise, which burns up calories. Too much output, with insufficient input equals underweight, and vice-versa. This website will give you all the information you need to help you gain weight in a safe way, not just getting fat, but using all necessary nutrients to build a healthy body. So, please take a look around our site and see how committed we are to showing you how to gain weight.