Understanding Weight Gain Supplements

“Understanding Weight Gain Supplements” was written by was written by Amber Lam, RD & edited by Amanda Crowe, MS, RDN, CD. Final review/edit completed by Aly Bouzek, MS, RDN. 

Weight gain supplements may be required in our diet as we age. 

Weight loss is a result of eating fewer calories than we need. The dietary intake of older adults may be impacted by access to grocery stores, low income, loneliness, living alone, depression, dementia, illness, and ability to cook. (1)

Malnutrition is a serious condition that affects many elderly people. Factors that may worsen malnutrition include:

• Poor appetite
• Medications
• Cognitive impairment 
• Illness
• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
• Oral health

This article aims to provide you with an understanding of the role of weight gain supplements, how to choose the most appropriate supplement for weight gain, the types of weight gain supplements available, and ideas on how to add those supplements to your diet. 

Role of Weight Gain Supplements

For weight gain to occur, a person needs to eat more calories than their body is using. In general, a weight gain of 1–2 pounds per week is recommended. To gain 1 pound in a week, an excess of 500 calories per day is needed.

Weight gain supplements can play an important role when eating an additional 500 food calories daily is a challenge. Just about all of these supplements have a high amount of calories and can help you reach your calorie goals.

The market for weight gain supplements is vast and can be overwhelming when trying to choose the most appropriate supplement. To choose which supplement is most appropriate, it is important to first identify why it is needed. 

Low Appetite & Weight Loss

Is appetite low and the amount of food being eaten not enough to gain weight? A meal replacement drink may be appropriate when it is difficult to add enough calories to food to gain weight. Meal replacement drinks are commercially available and can also be made at home. 

Temporary Illness & Weight Loss

Sometimes a temporary decrease in appetite can lead to decreased eating. In turn, this can cause weight loss. Once the issue is resolved, appetite increases.

For example, someone had a recent hospital stay for a stomach issue. The patient recovered quickly and was sent home within a week. Weight gain supplements can come in the form of high calorie, high fat foods added to the regular diet for this person.

Here, weight gain supplements could be in the form of high fat foods such as oils, butters, or other fats or powders made from animal or plant proteins to be added to food.  

Skin/Wound Issues & Weight Loss

During a hospital stay, a person may also lose muscle mass or develop skin issues due to inactivity. In this case, a nutritional supplement drink with a focus on high protein may be the most appropriate choice. 

A Closer Look at Different Types of Weight Gain Supplements 

Now, we are going to take a further look at a few types of these supplements: 

• Meal replacement drinks
• High protein, high calorie drinks 
• High fat and high protein foods added to regular foods

Meal Replacement Drinks

Commercially prepared nutritional drinks are widely used by older adults. Meal replacement drinks usually have some combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. 

It is important that meal replacement drinks are consumed between meals, not with meals. They can also be consumed as a stand-alone meal. Despite the name, meal replacement drinks need to be used in addition to regular meals to encourage weight gain.

Boost and Ensure are commercially made meal replacement drinks that can be used as weight gain supplements.  Both brands have a variety of flavors and supplement types available for weight gain. 

It can be overwhelming to decide which is the most appropriate for you to gain weight, taking into account your specific needs. A registered dietitian will be able to help you decide which supplement is best for you. 

Meal replacement drinks can also be made at home. Making weight gain supplements such as meal replacement drinks at home gives you more freedom to choose the flavors, ingredients, and consistency. 

If you’d like to try your hand at a homemade meal replacement drink, then try this Avocado Weight Gain Smoothie from our sister site High Calorie Recipes.

High Protein, High Calorie Nutritional Drinks

Protein needs increase for older adults when an acute or chronic illness is present. Meeting protein needs can help with immune function, wound healing, and recovering from the illness. 

Sometimes protein needs are quite high, making it difficult to meet protein needs without using a form of weight gain supplement.

Using high protein, high calorie supplements may decrease overall food intake, but because the nutritional quality and density of the supplements is high, nutritional intake increases. 

High protein, high calorie drinks are commercially available; however, you can also make them at home. 

NOTE: It is important to consult with a health care professional to determine which drink would be the most appropriate for you. 

Using Real Food

An alternative to high protein, high calorie drinks and meal replacement drinks is real food that is high in protein and high in calories.

If you have enough of an appetite to consume regular meals, then adding in extra fat and protein may be a good option for weight gain. 

Fats such as oils, butter, avocado, nuts, and seeds are also high in calories.

When added to regular food, they can create a high calorie meal or snack.

Protein powders made from either animal or plant sources can be added to foods to increase calories as well.

Regular meals and snacks with added calories may be preferable over a supplement drink because familiar foods can remain in the diet. 

Try this 500 Calorie Breakfast Cheesy Grits from our sister site High Calorie Recipes.

Pros and Cons of Weight Gain Supplements

As with most things in life, there are pros and cons to weight gain supplements. 

The most obvious pro for is improved nutritional intake, resulting in weight gain and an increase in lean body mass. This can, in turn, improve muscle function and decrease hospitalization and malnutrition risk. 

Weight gain supplements also come in a wide variety of flavors. Don’t forget to take any medical issues and dietary needs into consideration when choosing a weight gain supplement.

If you are taking medical conditions and dietary needs into consideration, then there are few, if any, side effects are noted from the use of weight gain supplements.  Often the benefits outweigh the associated risks.

A drop in blood pressure can lead to dizziness, falls, and cardiovascular events. Postprandial hypotension, or food-induced decrease in blood pressure, can occur in extreme cases. 

Consult a Healthcare Professional

It is important to consult with a health care professional, such as a registered dietitian, before deciding on a weight gain supplement. 

Several factors must be considered when choosing the right type of supplements for you: 

• The severity and longevity of weight loss you are experiencing
• Medical conditions
• Environmental and psychosocial factors
• Weight gain goals

A registered dietitian can help you develop a weight gain plan, monitor your weight gain, and help you determine when to stop, change, or decrease your weight gain supplement to meet your goals. 

Key Takeaways for Weight Gain Supplements

Weight gain supplements come with pros and cons. Some factors to consider include: medical conditions, weight gain goals, physical problems, cognition, environmental factors, etc. 

Consulting with a healthcare professional can help you decide which weight gain supplement to choose, and they can help monitor your weight gain progress.