6 Reasons Why You’re Gaining Weight Unintentionally
Cases of weight gain are safe, but symptoms met may indicate an urgent treatment.
Many people gain a lot of weight because they eat and drink a lot every day. However, in some circumstances, a person's weight gain might be because of some underlying conditions.
Health studies indicate that there are various ways to address such an unwanted weight gain. However, the best method depends on the cause of having those extra pounds.
Say, a hormonal imbalance is the main reason the doctor may give a drug prescription to achieve a balanced level of hormones.
Medications also vary according to the type of hormones affected. Such medications are frequently used long-term.
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6 Possible Reasons for Weight Gain
Rapid weight gain may also be because of some side effects of medications. But more often than not, cases of a weight gain are safe, but symptoms met may indicate an urgent treatment.
Here are 6 of the many possible reasons why a person is gaining weight, unexpectedly and unintentionally:
1. You Have Poor Sleeping Habit
Two issues are involved in weight gain and sleep. First, if you don't sleep early, the possibilities are higher than you are snacking late at night, and this means added calories.
2. You're Stressed
When the demands of life are quite intense, the body goes into the so-called "survival mode". Therefore, the stress hormone, also known as cortisol, is stretched, and this leads to an increase in appetite.
As a result, in times of stress, you may tend to search for comfort foods that are, most of the time, high-calorie. Such a combination is said to be an ideal source of weight gain.
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3. You're Taking Steroids
According to experts, anti-inflammatory steroid drugs such as prednisone are the leading cause of weight gain.
In certain conditions, you may see a momentary change in where your body is holding fat while you take steroids-to areas such as your belly, face, or the back of your neck.
If you've been taking steroids for more than one week now, don't stop right away as it can result in serious problems. The best thing to do is to consult your doctor first.
4. You Just Quit Smoking
Some people initially gain weight when they stop smoking. According to health experts, this takes place because, first, nicotine overpowers appetite.
Second, withdrawal symptoms, if you just quit smoking, may include stress, which, as earlier mentioned, can result in overeating.
5. You're Experiencing Hormonal Changes
Hormonal changes typically happen in women aged 45 to 55 years. This is the stage when they enter the menopausal stage.
During the reproductive years of a woman, estrogen, one of the hormones functioning by regulating menstruation and ovulation, starts to drop. And, once menopause takes place, the estrogen turns too low to induce menstruation.
As a result, a decline in estrogen can lead to women in the menopausal stage to experience weight gain, specifically in their abdomen and hips.
6. You have Diabetes, and Your Medicines are the Culprit
Weight gain is one of the most typical side effects of people taking insulin to control their diabetes. More so, insulin helps in controlling the glucose levels.
If you have long-standing diabetes, you tend to eat more than you need to prevent low blood sugar called hypo or hypoglycemia.
Taking snacks regularly may mean you are consuming more calories than what your body needs. This, then, can lead to an overall weight gain.
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Aug 07, 2020 12:13 PM EDT
