Q: I am 23 years old and weigh only 49 kgs. No matter what I eat, I don’t seem to put on any weight. Can you suggest a diet regime which I can follow to improve my physique?

BR, Calcutta

You have not mentioned your height for me to judge how under-weight you are. If you happen to be a few kgs below the desired body weight, you need not be too worried provided you are fit and do not suffer from frequent health problems. However, if you are fatigued easily and have recurrent ailments, you need to take certain measures. First of all you should ascertain whether there is any underlying clinical problem which is preventing you from gaining weight. There can be many reasons like impaired liver function, hyperthyroidism, high blood sugar or gut problems resulting in improper absorption of the food you eat. A thorough examination to rule out any clinical cause must be done before you take any step further. Regarding your diet, follow the points listed below:

Increase your total food intake every time you eat. If you are not able to eat much at one go, split up your meals and eat more frequently.

Do not overeat any one food item. Instead, increase all kinds of food in a balanced way.

Incorporate adequate protein in your diet from pulses, meat, fish, egg, milk and milk products such as paneer, shrikhand and cheese. Health drinks, milkshake and a bit of ghee or butter added to your dal or roti will also help you.

You could try desserts or sweets after your meals. Nuts and dry fruits are rich sources of calories ? they may be included in your desserts or as snacks.

Q: Is it true that consuming rice makes people fatter easily? If I am trying to lose weight, is it better if I have chapatis for lunch as well as for dinner?

RS, Asansol

There is no definite evidence to prove that rice consumption makes a person fat, although it has been observed that those taking a rice-based diet do tend to put on weight sometimes. One probable reason may be that rice is easily digested and ferments in the gut making you feel sluggish and lethargic. Hence the common complaint of “feeling sleepy and not being able to work after taking rice”. The rapid absorption of glucose after digestion of rice makes people less active and prone to napping. Wheat products have more protein and fibre and are thereby digested more slowly. However, there is not much difference in the calorific values of rice and wheat, so for anyone wanting to stay in shape, it is very important to restrict the total calorie intake and check the ones coming from other sources (such as fats) as well. Consuming more calories than required results in weight gain.