ATD: How Can I Gain Weight for my Health?

I’m only 28 years old and just found out that I have Huntington’s Disease, which is a fatal disease. This degenerative disease destroys my brain cells. I know that my best shot to live as long as possible is to gain weight. Currently I am significantly underweight. I am 5’ and weigh only 84 lbs. I can eat and eat but gain nothing. I’ve wanted to gain weight in a healthy way but at this point am deseperate to gain any type of weight at all. I’ve began to wonder if I should start adding protein powders/shakes to my diet. Could you please share any advice you may have?   Thank You, Jennifer

Hello Jennifer,

I’m sorry to hear of your condition. The reason people with Huntington’s lose weight is unknown, but there is likely an actual increase in your metabolic rate. This means that you will need to eat a great deal more than others do to gain weight because you burn more calories.

Start by keeping a food diary and being vigilant about having something to eat every 3 to 4 hours. High-calorie healthy snacks include nuts, cheese and crackers, or peanut butter on whatever you like (bread, crackers, a banana, etc), or some of the higher-calorie energy bars like Clif bars.

High calorie beverages may help add calories without keeping you too full. There are several brands of supplements (Ensure, Boost, Carnation Instant Breakfast) that can be found at your local drugstore or supermarket. Look for those providing at least 350 calories per serving to get the most energy-dense choices.

In time you’ll figure out what it takes for you to maintain a healthier weight. It might be including one of these drinks at 2 meals each day, as well as eating higher-calorie snacks 2 to 3 times daily.

If this doesn’t work for you after giving it some time, your physician may be able to prescribe some medication to help you gain weight. Some of these work by increasing your appetite (dronabinol and megestrol are examples) and others , which are anabolic steroids, can help your body build itself up (oxandrin). I’m not sure what medications have been approved by the FDA for use in patients with Huntington’s, so your physician will have to make that decision.