There are several medical conditions that can cause unhealthy weight loss, including:

Eating disorders: This includes anorexia nervosa, a serious mental disorder.

Thyroid problems: Having an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can boost metabolism and cause unhealthy weight loss.

Celiac disease: The most severe form of

gluten intolerance. Most people with

celiac disease don’t know that they have it (10 ).

Diabetes: Having uncontrolled diabetes (mainly type 1) can lead to severe weight loss.

Cancer: Cancerous tumors often burn large amounts of calories and can cause someone to lose a lot of weight.

Infections: Certain infections can cause someone to become severely underweight. This includes parasites, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

If you’re underweight, you may want to see a doctor to rule out any serious medical conditions.

This is particularly important if you have recently started losing large amounts of weight without even trying.

SUMMARY

There are several medical conditions that can cause unhealthy weight loss. If you’re underweight, see a doctor to rule out a serious health problem.

If you want to gain weight, it’s very important to do it right.

Binging on soda and donuts may help you gain weight, but it can destroy your health at the same time.

If you’re underweight, you want to gain a balanced amount of muscle mass and subcutaneous fat rather than a lot of unhealthy belly fat.

There are plenty of normal-weight people who get type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other health problems often associated with obesity (11 ).

Therefore, it’s absolutely essential to eat

healthy foods and live an overall healthy lifestyle.

The next chapter looks at several effective ways to gain weight fast, without ruining your health at the same time.

SUMMARY

It’s very important to eat mostly healthy foods even when you’re trying to gain weight.

There’s a reason why this is the most popular sleep position. The fetal position has loads of benefits. Not only is it great for lower back pain or pregnancy , sleeping in the fetal position can help reduce snoring.

Unfortunately, sleeping in the fetal position does have a few downsides. Make sure your posture is relatively loose, otherwise your comfy position could limit deep breathing while you snooze. Also, if you have any issues with joint pain or stiffness, sleeping in a tight fetal position might leave you sore in the morning.

SLEEPING TIP

If you want to make the fetal position more comfortable, make sure your posture is loose and relaxed when you curl up. Keep your legs relatively extended, and you can even try sleeping with a pillow between your knees.

There’s a reason why this is the most popular sleep position. The fetal position has loads of benefits. Not only is it great for lower back pain or pregnancy , sleeping in the fetal position can help reduce snoring.

Unfortunately, sleeping in the fetal position does have a few downsides. Make sure your posture is relatively loose, otherwise your comfy position could limit deep breathing while you snooze. Also, if you have any issues with joint pain or stiffness, sleeping in a tight fetal position might leave you sore in the morning.

SLEEPING TIP

If you want to make the fetal position more comfortable, make sure your posture is loose and relaxed when you curl up. Keep your legs relatively extended, and you can even try sleeping with a pillow between your knees.

If we had to rank sleeping positions, lying on your stomach might be at the bottom of the list. While it’s a good position for snoring or sleep apnea, the benefits don’t extend much further.

Unfortunately, sleeping on your stomach can cause both neck and back pain. It can also add a lot of unnecessary strain to your muscles and joints, which is why you might be waking up sore and tired. Placing a pillow under your lower belly might help reduce back pain.

SLEEPING TIP

To make it better, try sleeping with a thin head pillow — or no pillow — to reduce any added stress on your neck. You can also try slipping a pillow under your pelvis to reduce lower back pain.

Sleeping on your back offers the most health benefits. Not only does it make it easiest to protect your spine, it can also help relieve hip and knee pain .

As the Cleveland Clinic explains, sleeping on your back uses gravity to keep your body in an even alignment over your spine, which can help reduce any unnecessary pressure on your back or joints. A pillow behind your knees may help support the natural curve of the back.

Plus, if you’re worried about keeping your skin looking fresh, sleeping on your back protects it from any pillow or gravity-induced wrinkles.

On the flip side, sleeping on your back can be difficult for anyone who struggles with snoring or sleep apnea. It can also be difficult for anyone who already struggles with back pain, which is why it’s important to make sure you’re properly supported.

SLEEPING TIP

If sleeping on your back, try sleeping with a pillow behind your knees to reduce back pain and relieve pressure on your spine. If you’re congested, you can also prop yourself up with an extra pillow to make breathing easier.