ABSTRACT
In our twenty-first-century dieting culture, we assume that everyone on a diet is trying to lose weight, but there are some “hard gainers” whose greatest struggle is to keep weight on. Historically, such need for weight gain has been an intrinsic part of dieting culture. Athletes may be particularly interested in putting on weight to improve their strength and performance. Sports-medicine training books generally provide at least a few pages of technical information about gaining weight, which is often fairly scientific and can be intimidating (Lamb and Murray 1998: 229-30). Popular nutrition and training books, therefore, generally provide a bit of advice on how to gain weight; however, this information is subordinate to recommendations for losing weight.
