How to Build and Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle if Your BMI Indicates You are Underweight

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Did you know that your BMI can indicate certain health risk factors? This includes pre-diabetes and diabetes, which 1 in 2 Asian Americans develop in their lifetime. This risk increases when your BMI is 23 or higher for Asians, or 25 and higher for non-Asians.

On the other hand, having a BMI that is lower than normal can potentially lead to other health risks. If you are underweight and attempting to gain weight, try to eat more calories than you expend and focus on eating more protein. It's important to eat nutrient-dense foods and eat regularly throughout the day. Check out this Nutritious Asian Meal Planner to get ideas for what to eat. In the process of gaining weight, you should also make a habit to exercise. Try strength training to build muscle, as it is ideal for some of the weight gains to be muscle, not just fat.

Learn more about how to gain weight here.