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"You can never be too rich or too thin," the late Wallis Simpson is quoted as saying, but try telling that to someone who can't put weight on. Being underweight is just as bad for your health as being overweight and yet I don't think I have ever found weight gain magazines at the newsagents, there are also very few weight gain articles in the high street magazines.

So you've established that you're underweight, you've had your thyroid tested to make sure that there is no underlying medical reason for being underweight and you're ready to start your new lifestyle.

Rule number one, being underweight does not give you carte blanche to devour the desert trolley, you still need to make healthy choices.

The next point is to NEVER skip a meal, you must eat three meals a day and two to three snacks as well.

The key is to increase your calorie intake while still being healthy. Some people naturally burn up more energy so you need to make sure you eat adequate carbohydrates and fat so that your body doesn't look to burn up the protein in your body for it's energy. When we say eat fats we're talking about unsaturated fats.

Carbohydrates should be as unprocessed as possible, whole grains will give your body more energy.

Fats should come from unsaturated sources such as nuts (although not peanuts) & seeds.

Protein is also essential for weight gain and this should come from lean sources such as lean meats, fish, seafood, beans & legumes.

So, when you're planning your meals include a complex carbohydrate like brown rice as this will convert into glucose slowly and allow your body constant energy. Also include protein as this is what will increase your lean muscle mass (you don't want to gain weight if it's going to make you wobble!). Then you need to add fat so that your body has a secondary fuel source.

Do you find that you can't eat bigger meals? Then don't worry, just think smarter. If you have cereal for your breakfast, then add a handful of nuts, seeds and dried fruit to it. If you have baked beans on toast for breakfast add grated cheese on top. If you have an omelette, then cook it in olive oil and add a slice of toast to it. Make sure that your snacks count, if you're not hungry mid morning or mid afternoon then just have a small low-fat yoghurt and a couple of nuts, or fruit and a couple of nuts, or a glass of milk.

When it comes to dinner, add cashews to your stir fry; pop some cheese on top of your pasta; add cheese to your mashed potatoes; throw chopped nuts on your salad.

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