2. Hello doctor, I want to gain some weight. I now weigh 48Kgs, I feel too small. What foods can someone eat to add weight in a healthy way? Kenneth.
Dear Kenneth
There are to ways to gain weight, the healthy and the non-healthy; the later results to obesity which is a diseased state resulting from the consumption of excessive quantity of food over an extended period of time leading to accumulation of excess fat in the body.
Balanced diet
Simply put, a balanced diet is one which contains the four types of foods (Proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins) in their right proportions to meet the various needs for maintaining health, vitality and general well-being.
The key word is proportions, meaning that you not only have to make sure your plate has proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins, but certain foods/food among the four should be provided in much more quantities always.
Protein, amino acids
Proteins should be supplied in adequate amounts in the diet since they are one of the most important nutrients required by the body. They are important constituent of tissues and cells of the body, form the important component of muscle, blood, enzymes and hormones; are the antibodies helping the body to defend against infections and supply essential and nonessential amino acids for the synthesis of several chemical messengers(neurotransmitter).
Which proteins to eat
Egg proteins and human milk protein have been found to be the best quality protein. They provide essential amino acid patterns very close to the pattern of the tissue proteins of our body and are thus classified as high quality proteins and serve as reference protein for defining the quality of other proteins.
Gaining healthy weight
The gain in weight depends on both amount and quality of protein taken (Protein Efficiency ratio: PER).
Gain in body weight in grams = Protein ingested in gm x PER
So you should take more proteins with biological value; the biological value of protein being the percentage of nitrogen retained and absorbed by your body as compared to that lost in excreta.
The table below guides on the efficiency and biological value of different proteins
| Protein Source | Protein Type | Protein Efficiency Ration | Biological Value (%) |
| Animal protein | Egg | 3.8 | 96 |
| Milk | 2.8 | 90 | |
| Meat | 3.2 | 74 | |
| Fish | 3.5 | 80 | |
| Vegetable Proteins | Rice | 1.7 | 80 |
| Cereals | Wheat | 1.3 | 60 |
| Oil seeds | Groundnut | 1.7 | 55 |
| Soya bean | 2.1 | 62 | |
| Pulses/legumes | Beans, Peas | 1.1 | 74 |
| Red beans | 1.7 | 72 |
