It is not necessary that a diet be prescribed for the obese only. Many people are underweight too. Due to the lack of correct dietary advice they attribute their lean and thin figure to heredity. The problem of being underweight is very typical in young people. The nutritional requirement in adolescents is conditioned primarily by the spurt of growth that occurs at puberty. There is an increased demand for calories and protein at that time.

The increased caloric need is ordinarily reflected in the appetite. Unless additional food is provided at mealtime, the individual makes it up by eating in between meals. This habit leads to an intake of an unbalanced diet and results in slowing down normal growth.

Failure to meet the additional requirement for the body-building proteins at this time is believed to be an important cause of very slow height gain, loss of resistance to diseases, hair loss and skin problems. So certain dietary modifications are necessary.

Diet

For increasing body weight, the total calorie intake 1 should be in excess of the energy requirement. If about 500 calories per day were taken in excess of the regular diet, there would be a weekly gain of about half a kilogram in the weight! of the individual. These calories! can be in the form of four bananas, or 100 gm peanuts, or 250 gm fresh dates or half a kilogram mangoes, etc.

A liberal supply of protein is necessary for tissue building. So protein-rich foods like milk products, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, all dais, peanuts etc. should be taken as much as possible.

High-calorie fatty foods such as nuts and dried fruits, cream, butter, ghee, vanaspati and oils help to increase body weight. But fatty foods should not be taken at the beginning of a meal as they reduce the appetite.

Leafy vegetables, with low carbohydrate content, should be restricted and preference given to those with a high-calorie equivalent-like potatoes and yam, cereals and cereal products such as bread, biscuits etc. These are a storehouse of calories and proteins, hence should be taken liberally.

With such a liberal diet, there is no necessity for extra vitamin and mineral supplements. A glass of mixed fruit juice or a bowl of mixed vegetable soup or a plate of fresh fruits/vegetable salad or chaat will provide the necessary vitamins and minerals. Liquids, especially water, should not be taken before or with the meal, but only after the meal, so that the food intake is not reduced.

Regular outdoor exercise (in the morning) helps to stimulate the appetite. Constipation may reduce the appetite, so bowel movements should be regulated by a judicious intake of fluids, fresh fruits and vegetables, and exercise.

Whatever you may eat during the day (following the above diet advice), make sure to have a heavy dinner. Top this with a glass of milk at bedtime. No after-dinner walks for the underweight.

If an undernourished adolescent follows such a dietary regime, the body will pick up growth, and a marked increase in the height and weight will be seen. Once the growth period of adolescence has passed, then by following the above plan, weight would only be increased.