Dorah, 25, is a third year university student who is so slender that you would think a heavy wind could topple her over. She however has a huge appetite especially for junk food, although she still doesn’t gain weight. To gain weight Dorah resorted to eating everything that people said who make her fat in vain. 

Being underweight could be caused by many reasons such as poor nutrition and diet or medical conditions that make it difficult for one to gain weight. Snacking on junk food and making the pork joint your nightly hangout might only make you unhealthy. There are a number of healthy ways to gain weight.

According to the American Dietetic Association, a body mass index below 18.5 is considered underweight. Illnesses associated with low body weight include anorexia, cancer and depression.

In order to gain weight the health way, one needs to eat calorie-dense snacks. These include avocados, nuts and dried fruits such as mangos. If you are the kind that loves snacking, opt for healthy snacks with less fat that will help you gain healthy weight instead of making you plump.

According to Gerald Ruzindana, a Nutritionist with Amazon Nutrition Centre, slender or underweight people should change how they eat. "Instead of having three heavy meals, you can instead eat smaller but frequent portions of food, healthy snacks and fruit. You can have at least four to five meals a day in small portions,” he said.

Ruzindana advises that thin women should exercise, saying that it is still very vital because it helps them gain strength while stimulating their appetite.