Avoiding Weight Loss Due to COPD
Some people with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—especially those with emphysema—may be underweight and malnourished. When you lose weight, you lose muscle mass, including the muscles that help you breathe. This may make breathing more difficult. Those suffering from COPD who are very underweight, especially those with emphysema, are at higher risk of death than are people with COPD who have a normal weight.
Weight loss is a concern in COPD because as you lose weight, you lose muscle mass. Muscle loss may result in your feeling weaker. And muscle loss makes it harder to breathe (the muscles that help you breathe also weaken). Weakness can also lead to a greater chance of infections, such as pneumonia.
If you are beginning to lose weight and muscle mass, you probably need to eat more protein and get more calories. This generally means eating more foods containing fat and protein or adjusting your diet to allow for more calories and protein in the following ways:
Eat High-Calorie, Nutritious Snacks
Foods that can help you add nutritious calories to your diet include:
- Ice cream.
- Pudding.
- Cheese.
- Granola bars.
- Custard.
- Nachos with cheese.
- Eggs.
- Crackers with peanut butter.
- Bagels with peanut butter or cream cheese.
- Cereal with half and half.
- Popcorn with margarine and parmesan cheese.
- High-calorie nutritional supplements, such as nutrition shakes.
Add Calories to a Meal
Adding the following foods to meals or snacks can help you add calories and protein to your diet.
- Add an egg or egg yolk to meat loaf, macaroni and cheese, or similar foods. Be sure to cook the food after adding the egg.
- Add powdered milk to creamed soups, scrambled eggs, pudding, potatoes, yogurt, and casseroles.
- Add cheese to sandwiches, crackers, casseroles, soups, toast, and pasta.
- Add an extra tablespoon of vegetable oil or olive oil, mayonnaise, butter, margarine, or sour cream to sandwiches, bread, casseroles, soups, cooked cereals, pasta, potatoes, rice, or vegetables.
Grind up some nuts and sprinkle the dust on puddings, gravy, mashed potatoes, casseroles, salads, and yogurt.
Add Protein to Your Diet
Milk, milk products, and meats are high in protein. Try to eat more of these foods, or:
- Add skim milk powder to milk, cold cereals, scrambled eggs, soups, and ground meat.
- Add cheese or peanut butter to snacks.
- Choose desserts that use eggs, such as sponge cake, egg custard, and rice pudding.
- Use nutritional supplements high in protein, such as nutrition shakes.
Because eating too much fat and targeting certain nutrients (such as protein) may have health risks, always consult with your primary care doctor or a registered dietitian before eating more of these foods to gain weight.