Autumn Weight-Gaining: What You Really Need Isn't Meat

This article is for health education purposes only and is intended for informational reference. It does not constitute medical advice; please consult a professional doctor if you have health concerns.

As soon as autumn arrives, the elders start planning to "gain autumn weight" again. Braised pork knuckle and red-braised pork take turns on the table—but this old tradition may now be doing more harm than good.

"Gaining autumn weight" was born in an era of scarcity, when people lacked dietary fat all year round. Today, however, more than half of Chinese adults are already overweight or obese[[1]]—what we lack is no longer calories.

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For the same 100 grams, red-braised pork has about 3 times more calories than steamed fish[[4]]. Eat until full either way, and the calorie difference adds up to an entire meal. What you really need to supplement during autumn weight-gaining is protein: during weight loss and after age 50, you need 1.2-1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day[[2]] to preserve muscle[[3]].

What you can do today

One palm-sized portion of quality protein per meal: fish, shrimp, skinless poultry, soy products, eggs
Red meat 2-3 times per week, preferably steamed, boiled, or stewed; less red-braising and deep-frying
Eat vegetables and protein first, then staple foods, and control total intake

Gain autumn weight, yes—but gain muscle, not fat.

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References

Pan XF, Wang L, Pan A. Epidemiology and determinants of obesity in China. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2021;9(6):373-392. PMID: 34022156.
Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013;14(8):542-559. PMID: 23867520.
Paddon-Jones D, Rasmussen BB. Dietary protein recommendations and the prevention of sarcopenia. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2009;12(1):86-90. PMID: 19057193.
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Nutrition and Health. China Food Composition Tables (6th Edition). Peking University Press. 2018.