The UESP Healthcare Society

[the Savage Hippie]

We, the users of the UESP forums, care for each other and back each other up - at least we should. We "live" and interact with each other and set aside our differences to get the best out of the forums. Everyone should leave the forums with a smile on his/her face and noone should ever feel hurt or harmed. So I decided, that the forums needed a thread like this.

'The UESP Healthcare Society" as the title suggests this thread is about health. In this thread you can seek out the help from other members no matter what your conditions might be - could it be you feared you were getting sick, you wanted to know healthy food recipes, how to cope with a broken limb, how to effectively gain or lose weight etc etc. It is my thought that those of us who have had experience with things others might have not would want to contribute to other's despair and that we would all help out each other.

If you have something that is worrying you and that you would like to know more about and you do not feel it is too embarrassing to share with the UESP - you just write a post in this thread and hopefully others will help you. Also! You could always, if you did not feel like sharing your concern with just everybody, ask for other users help through this thread by asking them for a PM. If you would like to receive help from another member that you particularly trust, then you could use this thread to make that certain someone aware that you worry and would like to hear their advice. And hopefully all your troubles will soon be gone.

IMPORTANT - THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT FEELINGS, UNLESS THEY ARE RELATED TO A DISEASE OR AN ILLNESS IF YOU HAVE A HEAVY HEART YOU SHOULD POST YOUR CONCERNS ELSEWHERE LIKE IN PMS OR THE RELATIONSHIP AND HAPPENINGS THREAD.

I will kick the thread off myself with this:
During this winter I have lost weight. Many people would say "I wish I were the one who had lost weight", but you see, I am a young man aged 20 and I weigh way too little. Before this winter my weight was around 64kg (128lbm). I am thin of nature and have a high/very active metabolism, so I am "so lucky" I can eat whatever I want without thinking about how unhealthy it is and how much fat it contains and so on and so forth and therefore I know that I won't reach a weight of 75kg (150lbs) as I would like right away. At least not while not working. Anyway, I have lost weight and I now weigh 60kg (120lbs) and that is worrying me. I would very much like to gain weight, but this seems very hard because of my high/very active metabolism, I eat and I eat. I eat unhealthy fat foods and sugar and everything that is said to make you fat, but none of this seems to affect me, unfortunately. Is there anyone on the UESP who can give me advice on how to put on weight? I know that I of course can gain weight by gaining muscles, but I am not really interested in becoming "buff" I would just like my normal weight back. Please.



ps.
mods I hope you welcome this thread I just spent half an hour writing all this and I would hate to see this get locked.

[Dark Lord Cam]

No healthcare for you! You don't pay taxes and we don't get paid.


I blame Avronargocracy. Avronocare is no care!

[Gideon Dragontongue]

Got health problems? Drink some tea, and if you don't feel better in an hour, we'll talk.

[LongLiveTheEmpire]

If you are being sarcastic: Haha cool story bro

If you are being serious: Wow, nice to hear your story man. But listen, eating a bunch of junk may seem like a quick and easy way to gain weight but in reality it may be only for people like me who have a slow metabolism, and/or susceptible to gaining wait. The thing you should be doing is eating healthy and working out. I'm not say you should try and be a "buff" but even gentle exercises should be fine. Being healthy is really the key here, not being a total slob. It may seem odd but really, even though you aren't putting on any weight, you can still be "unhealthy" and that may be causing you to lose weight and preventing you from gaining it. Wish you luck I hope I helped.

[Gideon Dragontongue]

In all honesty, I would suggest eating lots of meat and dairy products, and avoid snack foods.

[leroybrown]

How tall are you? If you are a shorter person then you may be fine. When is the last time you had a physical?

[Deandra]

In all honesty, I would suggest eating lots of meat and dairy products, and avoid snack foods.

That will work, and it's got the advantage of not giving you diabetes from eating a ton of sugar, but meat and cheese is full of saturated fat, and heart disease is just as bad.

My recommendation would be to eat a balanced diet (enough to keep from feeling hungry, and no more) and just wait a couple of years til your metabolism slows down. Just as some people have naturally heavier builds, some people have bodies that just want to be lean, and you'd do yourself a disservice by trying to change that.

If you're really worried, go see a doctor to make sure you don't have a tapeworm or something. Otherwise, just enjoy your ability to make other people jealous when they have to say no to dessert.

[Gideon Dragontongue]

Either way, I wouldn't be too upset.

[leroybrown]

In all honesty, I would suggest eating lots of meat and dairy products, and avoid snack foods.

That will work, and it's got the advantage of not giving you diabetes from eating a ton of sugar, but meat and cheese is full of saturated fat, and heart disease is just as bad.

Regarding the meat this is actually controversial.

I know there is nothing worse than someone who links to an hour long youtube video or someone that expects you to read a lot....so my bad. But this is why I am not convinced meat is so bad as people say.

http://robbwolf.com/2011/08/03/big-fat- ... st-part-1/

You don't have to read this, I'm not trying to say I'm right, but for folks that want to really do an in depth investigation on dieting it's definitely worth looking into. Leave no stones unturned right?

[the Savage Hippie]

@LonglivetheEmpire: I am being as serious as one can be. And thanks for your advice.

@Gideon: I eat meat all the time. I eat snack foods, but not that often and not to gain weight or anything. I eat pretty fat foods like beef and such as often as possible, but still my body seems to be to resistant to the fat in the food I eat.

@Leroybrown: I stand 183cm tall (6 ft) and my weigh is only that I have mentioned right now. I am concerned that my body will be a blackhole soon!

But really in general it is not that I am the type of person you think "oh damn! He is skinny", I am more like the "Oh, I am a girl and I wish I were as thin as you (even though they shouldn't)" type. But still I would very much like to put on weight.

[Avron the S'wit]

First: I am Mama Bear Avron, and I approve of this thread.

Second: I would go with what Deandra said. A balanced, healthy diet and exercise is the best way to be healthy; don't just eat more, eat smarter. Some people are destined to be thin. I'm one of them myself, and I have a friend who is so pathetically tiny, but, try as she might, eat what she wants, she doesn't bulk up. Not everyone has the same body type, and it's important to remember that. Make sure you get a check up to ensure it's nothing serious. Sometimes weight balances are effected by other things in the body, including your thyroid. It's a good idea to always get a professional opinion if you're concerned.

That aside, why not exercise? Building muscle will not just make you feel better all around, it will add a few pounds here and there.

As for the s'wit: I could use some help. I pulled a muscle in my calf the other day (or, rather, suffered a horrible muscle cramp at an odd hour of the morning, as I sometimes do - eat your potassium, everyone!) and I can't shake it. I have tried stretching it, massaging it, giving it a warm soak, but I still wake up with it there. It's agonizing! It's driving me insane since I walk home from public transit, and it's a hike. Anyone have any good ideas?

[Gideon Dragontongue]

I would try taking potassium supplements for a few days. For the past couple of months, I've had a sore muscle in my upper back, and taking potassium seems to help.

[The Raven]

Hippie, I know what you mean. I am also unable to gain weight, my weight should be around yours, but I am unable to gain weight.
It's both nice but also annoying as hell.

[DorostheConqueror]

Is there anyone on the UESP who can give me advice on how to put on weight?

Hi, everybody!

Now there are many options available for dangerously underweighted individuals like yourself. I recommend a slow steady gorging process combined with assal horizontology. You'll want to focus on the neglected food groups such as the whipped group, the congealed group, and the chocotastic! Be creative! Instead of making sandwiches with bread, use poptarts. Instead of chewing gum, chew bacon. You could brush your teeth with milkshakes! And remember, if you're not sure about something, rub it against a piece of paper. If the paper turns clear, it's your window to weight gain!

[leroybrown]

Disclaimer: Use caution when taking health advice. None of these folks (myself included) are doctors, just people interested in a healthy lifestyle. It's great we can share our experiences but don't read 1 post on the internet and then change your diet. Do your own research.

There are some ridiculous diets out there, even a beer diet. I'm serious. I think you're smarter than to follow anyones random success story/advice, but not everyone is. Some of those naive folks may browse this forum. So guys, be careful (how many people have snacks by their desk as they read this?)

Oh and see a doctor. Seriously, you need to see one. Don't you guys have free health care? Just go see a doc and get his advice. That being said...

@Gideon: I eat meat all the time. I eat snack foods, but not that often and not to gain weight or anything. I eat pretty fat foods like beef and such as often as possible, but still my body seems to be to resistant to the fat in the food I eat.

How many times per day do you eat? Are you on an eating schedule, or do you just eat whenever? How much do you eat of starch/veggies?

I think everyone here is in agreement that you need to eat a healthy diet. Though our opinions of healthy dieting will vary wildly. This may be a whole new thread. The food pyramid thing is something to be careful about...

It's better than it was, but it used to be plain dumb. I remember being a kid and looking at it. Of all the food groups they recommended eating mostly grains and little veggies. Are you effing serious? ARE YOU EFFING SERIOUS?! Ok... I'll calm down. The reason for this is downright criminal. Anyway...

@Leroybrown: I stand 183cm tall (6 ft) and my weigh is only that I have mentioned right now. I am concerned that my body will be a blackhole soon!

But really in general it is not that I am the type of person you think "oh damn! He is skinny", I am more like the "Oh, I am a girl and I wish I were as thin as you (even though they shouldn't)" type. But still I would very much like to put on weight.

Wow. Yeah that is very very skinny. I lean towards Deandra's 'some people don't get skinny cause of genetics' theory. The fact in itself is true, some folks are big and some are not. Take a Samoan dude and stack him against a Peruvian native. The difference would be night and day.

There was a neat documentary about this. About a dozen skinny folks were given a really bad diet to see if they could gain weight. Some did but only very little. One strange fact was one of the guys didn't gain body fat, but muscle, and he doesn't work out. Now those are really good genes.

Oh, see a doctor. Your healthcare supposedly rules. See a doctor.

My advice would be (see a doctor) to not worry about it. Even if you got on a crazy weight lifting schedule you are not going to put on much weight. If you decide to ignore my dr advice then at least check your heart rate and blood pressure.

Do you do any physical activity?

[Will Zurmacht]

a beer diet. I'm serious.

Links or it didn't happen.

Oh and a general health tip for mothers or those who might become mothers: breastfeed. Even if it's a little inconvenient, do it anyway. Breastfeeding is a natural, well-designed part of mammalian evolution and the kid benefits from a better early immune system, contributing to an overall healthier life.

[the Savage Hippie]

@Avron: I am not a fan of being active. Although I like to walk my dog! But besides that I hate runnin' (due to my lungs... and liver... smoking and drinking has taken its toll), but I can walk like Forrest Gump can run. So I guess I should add in some walking. I have been very active today (working ) and I oughta think that helps too.

@Raven: Yup, it is, but it is a real pain in the bottocks when you lose weight, now that is a problem.

@Doros: That sounds like a lot of fun, but it also sound trollish. Although I very much like the idea of chewing bacon instead of gum. I don't like gum at all, I find it boring and tasteless after two chews so...

@LeroyBrown: Yes I know it sounds that way, but again, it is nothing you can see that easily, unless you strip me naked, lolz. I don't do any exercise. I do walk my dog once in a while as mentioned above and do physical work. don't eat vegetables that often, I dislike salad mostly, that been said I eat salad and vegetables, but always combined with dressing or like in a sandwich and stuff... but not everyday.
I eat three-four times aday... When I get up, at dinner and then I eat right before I go to sleep (which should help! But apparently doesn't). And I eat a lot! Concerning seeing a doctor, don't you think a diatist would be more helpful?

[Avron the S'wit]

Oh and a general health tip for mothers or those who might become mothers: breastfeed. Even if it's a little inconvenient, do it anyway. Breastfeeding is a natural, well-designed part of mammalian evolution and the kid benefits from a better early immune system, contributing to an overall healthier life.

Breastfeeding has several other benefits, too, including better sleep patterns - and, if it occurs with a natural mother-infant sleep proximity (i.e., the young baby sleeping near the mother or next to her), both mother and baby will not only experience better sleep patterns, but synced sleep patterns due to the hormone oxytocin that's released into the mother's blood and the milk...for all those people who hear horror stories of parents being awake all night with babies. It's terribly avoidable. I did a fantastic report on this for my medical anthropology class, and it was extremely impressive; the report Breastfeeding and Mother-Infant Sleep Proximity: Implications for Infant Care by Helen Ball and Kristin Klingaman was a great, great read. (Although my version comes from an equally fantastic read, Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives, by Travathan, Smith, and McKenna. Fantastic selection of articles to get you thinking about your biocultural heritage. Not really recommended for medical attention - always consult a doctor, as leroybrown said above - but a wonderful way to get you thinking in the bigger picture, something even doctors don't always have the time or resources to do.)

[Deandra]

Oh and a general health tip for mothers or those who might become mothers: breastfeed. Even if it's a little inconvenient, do it anyway. Breastfeeding is a natural, well-designed part of mammalian evolution and the kid benefits from a better early immune system, contributing to an overall healthier life.

Breastfeeding has several other benefits, too, including better sleep patterns - and, if it occurs with a natural mother-infant sleep proximity (i.e., the young baby sleeping near the mother or next to her), both mother and baby will not only experience better sleep patterns, but synced sleep patterns due to the hormone oxytocin that's released into the mother's blood and the milk...for all those people who hear horror stories of parents being awake all night with babies. It's terribly avoidable. I did a fantastic report on this for my medical anthropology class, and it was extremely impressive; the report Breastfeeding and Mother-Infant Sleep Proximity: Implications for Infant Care by Helen Ball and Kristin Klingaman was a great, great read. (Although my version comes from an equally fantastic read, Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives, by Travathan, Smith, and McKenna. Fantastic selection of articles to get you thinking about your biocultural heritage. Not really recommended for medical attention - always consult a doctor, as leroybrown said above - but a wonderful way to get you thinking in the bigger picture, something even doctors don't always have the time or resources to do.)

As a mother who actually breastfed for over a year, I'd like to throw in my disagreement with some of that. A baby that's being breastfed has to nurse almost twice as frequently as a child who is being fed formula, and if your child (like mine, for a few months) gets most of their sleep in the afternoon rather than at night, you will be awake a lot. Also, if you formula feed, other people such as your spouse can take over the task when you're exhausted. If you're breastfeeding, not so much. (Unless your child will drink pumped milk, which mine didn't). I felt like I was losing my mind until my daughter started sleeping more at night, and even then I had to take Ambien for a week to reset my messed up circadian rhythms.

Another thing... nowadays, parents who sleep with their babies are demonized and told that they're basically trying to kill their child due to SIDS. There's a huge campaign to keep babies out of their parents' bed. I'm not saying I agree with that (especially not if your baby is in a very low risk group) but that's the reality that parents are living in.

[Avron the S'wit]

That's a great point, Deandra, and a fine example of the idea of biocultural medicine. The idea that babies sleep soundly or don't feed a lot? That is a direct product of the formula era. Naturally breastfed infants will demonstrate very different sleep patterns than those of formula-fed infants. Do you know why babies who feed on formula don't drink as much as those being breastfed? It has to do, to quote the paper above, partially from the "soporific effects of cow's milk," which is more difficult to digest, and partly "due to the separation of infants at night from their mothers, who consequently underestimated their infants' night waking." Breastfed babies are hungrier because they can digest their mothers milk much more quickly; it is completely natural to them. Formula isn't as natural and is much harder to digest, causing babies to feel fuller longer. Mothers who sleep with their infants to allow for frequent suckling? Everyone sleeps much happier!

And this is where biology meets culture: society conformed to what they considered to be "normal" based on those formula kids. But, naturally, as a mother the decision is always up to you. Sleep is precious - and important! Nothing should stand in the way of it. But I also think it's good to think about why we expect and think what we do.

And I do think the demonized mentality for the sake of the SIDS movement is awful. SIDS is a real problem, but studies also demonstrate that mothers naturally protect their infants in sleep. Of course, how much has stress, sleep meds, and other things that disrupt our natural functions also weighed into smothering infants? Not an easy answer!

[DorostheConqueror]

@Doros: That sounds like a lot of fun, but it also sound trollish. Although I very much like the idea of chewing bacon instead of gum. I don't like gum at all, I find it boring and tasteless after two chews so...

My God, I am SO disappointed in you. Skip to 4:00 and write an essay about what you've learned.

Better yet, watch the whole thing.

[the Savage Hippie]

Or I could watch "Weight Gain 4000" the South Park episode... anyway.

[leroybrown]

a beer diet. I'm serious.

Links or it didn't happen.

Oh and a general health tip for mothers or those who might become mothers: breastfeed. Even if it's a little inconvenient, do it anyway. Breastfeeding is a natural, well-designed part of mammalian evolution and the kid benefits from a better early immune system, contributing to an overall healthier life.

http://bites.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/ ... a-bad-idea

[the Savage Hippie]

Speaking of a beer diet. I drank lots of beer last night, a chocolate milk acoholic drink and after I was done drinking I ate three cheeseburgers, three chili cheese tops and to doughtnuts. What more does my body want?!

[Taters]

The problem with breastfeeding vs formula is the contents. Most mammalian milk is rich in fat and proteins, necessary for building body mass. Human milk, however, is one of the lowest fat milks, and very nutrient poor, comparatively. What makes it special is it is chock-full of "gut bacteria" which inoculate the infant's system, and set up their ability to digest properly, and enzymes which give a huge boost to brain development. While a child fed formula will not necessarily suffer from it, or have an underdeveloped brain, it has been shown that breastfeeding has a higher likelihood of increased frontal lobe, and overall brain, development.