by Kaitlyn Hamilton

Created on: February 16, 2009

It seems that every time we turn on the television these days we're seeing another ad for some magic pill that will help people lose weight. When we go into grocery stores, we're bombarded with low-fat and fat-free labels. The media seems so obsessed with losing weight that most people don't realize that there are a lot of individuals struggling to gain weight for a variety of reasons. Some people have difficulty gaining weight after a hospitalization or serious illness because they feel sick when they eat. Other people have any number of health problems such as thyroid disease or digestive disorders that prevent them from putting on pounds. Then, you have those with eating disorders or maybe they just burn off more calories than they eat each day. Regardless of the reasons, being underweight can be a serious health risk.

I've often heard people comment that all someone has to do is eat right and exercise, but that isn't always possible. For example, my father has recently been hospitalized for about a three month period and he lost an extreme amount of weight. He can't exercise much because he was on life support for a long time which resulted in muscle loss. A few weeks ago he couldn't even move his hands or feet. He also couldn't swallow because the ventilator he was on damaged his throat. The feeding tube was most unpleasant for him, but it kept him alive.

Over the past several weeks, I've had to spend a lot of hours researching about food and nutritition in order to help my father regain his health. I've discovered that a lot of what I thought I knew about nutrition was dead wrong. I know a few people out there might be asking themselves why I can't just give him pizza, burgers, fries, and beer every meal until he gains back the fifty pounds he lost, but that isn't a solution at all. For people like my father, it isn't just about gaining pounds. It's about gaining good pounds which equates to lean muscle mass. Gaining fat without gaining muscle would be like adding lead weights to someone who already can barely move and expect them to make progress. It won't happen. However, if you add muscle mass then the chances for recovery are much greater.

For those of you who are in a similar situation, let me enlighten you on what I have recently discovered about gaining weight. First, you have to eat a balanced diet that has adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs, and fats. Sound easy so far? Well, it isn't. For people who can only hold very small

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