As in the case of the moderately obese, people who are somewhat underweight can gain on their own if they have been given a clean bill of health by their physicians. Perhaps your doctor has cautioned you against losing weight by neglecting to eat three good meals a day, and you know you have been getting careless. Or perhaps he has said he would like you to gain five to ten pounds, but since he also said you were in good condition, you've ignored his advice until today, when something injured your vanity. You can gain weight on your own, but be sure to consult your doctor if, for example, cutting down on bulky low-calorie vegetables should make you constipated. Don't take laxatives or mineral oil, which may deprive you of some of the vitamins you need (see Constipation, page 504).

ADVICE TO THE PROBLEM EATER

Time

It takes time to eat proper meals and learn to enjoy them instead of getting through with the task of swallowing your food as fast as possible. Pleasant, relaxing company may help you to prolong your mealtime so you can eat more without feeling stuffed. Some people who eat alone find it helps to listen to the radio, particularly to musical selections, or even to read to keep from being bored. Some find large portions discourage them from eating, while others who "can't take seconds" do better with big servings. Meals that look attractive usually encourage appetite. As a rule, people eat more at "family style" meals, at which the food is all placed on the table and they help themselves, than they do when they have it passed to them formally. It takes thought and attention for you to find out what is best for you. You also should take time to relax before meals. It is difficult to eat when you are tired. And you should set aside plenty of time for a good night's rest, to avoid fatigue at breakfast time.

Eat More

You can do it. Another piece of bread and butter, a second helping, soon become matters of habit.

Using High-Calorie Foods

Higher-calorie vegetables such as peas, potatoes, and lima beans provide more carbohydrates than the leafy vegetables you may have been eating. Use them but continue to use salads, which help to provide bulk.

If your doctor approves after a check into any cholesterol problem, you can use such high-calorie foods as cream soups, chowders, cereals with cream, mayonnaise, sauces made with butter or margarine or thickened with flour, and rich desserts.

Snacks

You can learn to enjoy them, finding ones that don't spoil your appetite. For example, an eggnog with some crackers can add plenty of calories and may even make you sleep better. Try it and see whether it does, cutting it out if insomnia or restless sleep results, in which case you may be able to add snacks between meals. (See Table 3-6 for the high-calorie snacks.)

Although candy and other foods such as jellies, pastry, cake, and ice cream are concentrated energy sources, they may satiate hunger for more valuable foods and increase tooth decay. Other snacks such as peanut butter, eggnog, and fruit are valuable because, beyond calories, they provide essential nutrients.

Consult the Suggestions for Problem Dieters

Some of these may be useful to you in reverse. But remember, you are different from the person with a tendency to overweight. Tasting is apt to spoil your appetite. Don't eat a light breakfast in the hope of being hungrier at noon. You need a good, high-protein breakfast to get you off to a good start every day. Remember, your long-range goal is to reset your appestat at a favorable point, so that you will have a natural desire to eat enough to keep your weight at a healthful level.

Smoking

There is no doubt that smoking, particularly chain or any excessive smoking, tends to keep people from eating and interferes with the enjoyment of good food. However, some people become so nervous when they give up smoking that I would scarcely make so drastic a suggestion to everyone who wants to gain. Try it, but also try cutting down. At least, avoid cigarettes just before meals and at mealtimes. As discussed on pages 427 and 434, heavy smoking is such a health hazard in so many other ways that your weight problem is only one good reason for cutting down.

Alcoholic Beverages

This, too, is a matter for each individual to decide. Many people find that an aperitif such as a glass of sherry sipped in a leisurely manner before dinner helps them to relax and stimulates the appetite. But don't substitute alcohol for food.

Consult the sample high-calorie diets in Tables 3-8, 3-9, and 3-10. Take your dieting seriously; it is important to your health. Menu D and Menu E contain rich, concentrated, high-calorie foods. They are less bulky than Menu F, which gets its large number of calories from employing large quantities of lower-calorie materials. Try these high-calorie diets until you find the type which pounds