Q. How can I put ON weight, I’m desperate? I’m male, have been skinny all my life and doctors say they can't help. Any advice?

A. Often it’s just as hard to put on weight as it is to lose weight, particularly if you come from a family with a tall slender build which you’ve no doubt inherited. On the plus side, as you get older, your skinny build will become an advantage as you’re less likely to succumb to heart troubles or diabetes, conditions which are aggravated by being overweight.

Here are 9 suggestions for you:

• if you currently smoke, quit smoking as it dulls your appetite (talk to your pharmacist about a nicotine patch or inhaler. It's too hard to do it on your own. Or join a quit smoking support group - most smokers take three or four attempts before they finally quit and you need friendly support along the way).
• eat regular meals.
• have a small snack between meals e.g. cheese and crackers, half a sandwich, yoghurt, flavoured milk.
• don't fill yourself up with water, tea, coffee or diet drinks. Try milk drinks or juices. The pharmacist can also give you a high-kilojoule powder like Sustagen to mix into your drinks.
• try to overeat just a little more than you normally would without stuffing yourself until bloated.
• add more fat to your meals such as butter or margarine on your potato and vegetables, creamy dressing on salad, full-fat milk and cheeses.
• don't buy anything labelled 'low-fat' or 'light' - you want the extra fat.
• have a pre-dinner drink as alcohol perks up the appetite.
• have some 'not-so-healthy' refined foods like pies, pastries and biscuits that dietitians normally wouldn't recommend.