Final answer:
To gain one or two pounds per week, individuals should consume 500 to 1000 calories more daily than their maintenance needs, totaling to an excess of 3500 calories per pound gained.
Step-by-step explanation:
Individuals who want to gain approximately one or two pounds of body weight per week need to consume at least 500 to 1000 calories more per day than what is required to maintain their weight. Because it takes an excess of approximately 3500 calories to gain one pound of body weight, consuming an extra 500 calories per day would lead to a weight gain of about one pound per week. Similarly, to gain two pounds per week, an individual would need to consume an additional 1000 calories per day.
It's important to remember that the daily caloric needs can vary greatly depending on factors such as body mass, age, height, gender, and activity level. Therefore, while the general calculation is a good starting point, it may need to be adjusted to fit individual requirements.