Weight gain can be common throughout a person’s life, but what happens when a person starts to gain weight with no common explanation or immediate cause? There are some reasons to believe that a variety of health and external factors can have a significant impact on a person’s weight. A significant weight change can because some alarm, and possibly trigger a visit to your health care provider, such as Dr. Ann Peters, M.D. MD Longevity is knowledgeable about the specific causes of weight changes and can help you focus on the root of weight change and help you to determine solutions. If you have weight changes that are sudden or severe, you may consider speaking with Dr. Ann Peters sooner than later. There are several reasons that people gain weight, however, there are some prevalent reasons as to why one might gain weight without a common explanation.
Stress
One of the more common causes of unexplained weight gain is stress. A body that carries a high level of stress or regular stress will begin to see physical changes, one of which is weight gain. Stress is the silent killer and can be the cause of your weight gain. This society demands the very best of us and sometimes more than we can give. This affects our mood, our emotions, and our sleeping patterns. MD Longevity can show that stress attributes to several key factors that can increase weight quickly and without initial notice. The most common forms of stress-related weight gain are poor diet choices, decrease in mobility or drive to exercise, increase in cortisol, decrease in metabolism, and fluctuating sugar levels. Dr. Ann Peters of MD longevity can assist patients in stress reduction. Reducing the amount of stress, the body feels will decrease the triggers of unhealthy eating. There are several known ways to reduce stress, which can be outlined specifically for you by Dr. Ann Peters. The ability to reduce stress, will not only allow you to feel better but also start to decrease the physical effects that stress has put on your body, including weight gain. Stress reduction can change the metabolic makeup of your body and change the way that you control your weight.
Medication
Weight gain is not always caused by a food source or stress. Sometimes weight gain is caused by the very things that are trying to help us improve our health and to lead a healthy life: Medications. MD Longevity recognizes that certain medications, although helpful for ailments, have a direct impact on your weight. Certain medications can trigger the body to retain water, in turn causing significant and rapid weight gain. This type of weight gain is not only difficult to manage but can be dangerous to your health if left untreated. Dr. Ann Peters recognizes that some medications act as a water retainer and if left unmonitored can have a significant impact on areas of your life. Certain medications, such as antidepressants have the unfortunate side effect of weight gain. Talk to your doctor about making changes to your treatment plan if you think your antidepressant is causing unexplained weight gain. Other medications such as steroids, blood pressure medication, and even some allergy medications can also cause unexpected weight gain. As it goes with any medications, never stop or change your medication on your own. Realize that some people experience weight gain after beginning drug treatment simply because they’re feeling better, which leads to a better appetite.
Underactive Thyroid Gland
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that is located in the front portion of your neck close to the larynx. Part of the endocrine system, this gland is responsible for hormone production. If the hormone output is small, the thyroid can cause other areas of the body to react adversely. Dr. Ann Peters shows that if your thyroid is unable to make the proper amount of hormone required by your body you will most likely have a slew of side effects that include feeling tired, weak, cold, and gaining weight. Without enough thyroid hormone, the metabolism slows, making unexplained weight gain more likely. Even a thyroid functioning at the lower end of the normal range might cause weight gain. Treating hypothyroidism with medication may help to reverse or ease weight gain. An increase in exercise is also noted to help improve not only weight gain, but thyroid function as well.
Illness
Although the medications that help to keep us healthy can cause weight gain, so can illnesses. In some cases, an illness that causes sudden and rapid weight gain can be an indication that there may be a serious health problem that we are experiencing. One of the most likely causes of weight gain associated with illness is the body’s ability to retain water. The excretory, circulatory, lymphatic, and endocrine systems work together to maintain a normal level of fluid in the body. When the disease affects one or more of these systems, fluid accumulates in the tissues and cavities. Water retention, MD Longevity notes, can be caused by serious diseases and illnesses such as kidney disease, congestive heart failure, and even cirrhosis of the liver to name a few. Because of the nature of these diseases, and others, if you experience a rapid weight change it could be an indication of a serious health condition and should be checked by a medical professional.
