Other factors that need to be considered when assessing your weight would be your gender (sex), age, and also height. It will be important to calculate your body mas index as well.
Overweight vs Obesity
Being Overweight is having extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat, and/or water.
Obesity is having a high amount of extra body fat. Body mass index (BMI) is a useful measure of overweight and obesity.
Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about your BMI. If the BMI is too low, the possibility of anorexia nervosa may be considered.
What factors affect our weight?
Many factors can contribute to a person’s weight. These factors include:
- the environment
- family history and genetics
- metabolism (the way your body changes food and oxygen into energy)
- our behavior or habits
How to maintain a healthy weight?
Energy balance is important for maintaining a healthy weight. The amount of energy or calories you get from food and drinks (energy IN) is balanced with the energy your body uses for things like breathing, digesting, and being physically active (energy OUT):
To maintain a healthy weight, a person’s energy IN and OUT does not have to balance exactly every day. It is the balance over time that helps him maintain a healthy weight.
One can reach and maintain a healthy weight by following a healthy diet.
if he/she is overweight or obese, reduce his daily intake by 500 calories and limit the time he spends being physically inactive for weight loss
How to gain weight healthily?
Here are some suggestions to gain weight if a person is underweight:
If a person is underweight, chances are he will feel full faster. Eat five to six smaller meals during the day rather than two or three large meals.
As part of an overall healthy diet, choose whole-grain bread, pasta and cereals; fruits and vegetables; dairy products; lean protein sources; and nuts and seeds.
Avoid diet soda, coffee, and other drinks with few calories and little nutritional value. A better choice would include smoothies or healthy shakes made with milk and fresh or frozen fruit.
Some people find that drinking fluids before meals blunts their appetite. In that case, it may be better to sip higher calorie beverages along with a meal or snack. For others, drinking 30 minutes after a meal, not with it, may work.
Snack on nuts, peanut butter, cheese, dried fruits, and avocados. Have a bedtime snack may also help an underweight person gain weight.
Do not neglect exercise. Exercise, especially strength training, can help a person gain weight by building up his muscles. Exercise may also stimulate a person’s appetite.
