Weight gain

Hanna Rutkowski is a freelance writer for the medical team.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

Many accept weight gain as an unpleasant symptom of old age. However, it is often the result of overeating and a sedentary lifestyle. Weight gain can lead to obesity and eventually obesity. And that affects more and more people in industrialized countries around the world. For example, being very overweight can have a negative impact on the cardiovascular system. Read here about the causes of unwanted weight gain and which weight loss tips really help.

Weight gain: description

How many calories do you need?

Food provides energy in the form of its calorific value, which is measured as “kilojoules” (kj) or kilocalories (kcal). How much energy a person needs every day depends on their lifestyle and other factors, such as how much they exercise, age or even gender. Men usually have a little more muscle mass, their calorie intake should be between 2400 and 3100 calories per day. Women, on the other hand, should consume around 1900 to 2400 kilocalories per day. With heavy physical activity, for example in competitive sports or strenuous physical work, the daily basal metabolic rate can increase many times over.

If a person consumes more calories than the body uses, the increased calorie intake is reflected in the scales over time - weight gain occurs. Some people gain weight without making any changes to their eating habits or lifestyle. There can be various causes behind this: the use of certain medications, various diseases or hormonal changes in menopause. Weight gain is not uncommon here.

However, weight gain does not necessarily have to be due to fat deposits. Diseases that lead to water retention (edema) also increase weight. Weight control is particularly useful for heart diseases that cause swollen legs. Weighing is carried out here every day in order to control the discharge of water by means of medication (e.g. diuretics).

The build-up of muscle mass through exercise also leads to weight gain. This causes initial frustration, especially with a diet that includes a lot of exercise. Because many do not think that the weight increases due to the newly built muscles.

Weight gain is also normal during pregnancy or growth. The circumference of the body can also increase in old age or in women after the menopause. As you get older, your metabolic processes slow down. Otherwise, activity often decreases over the years and the lifestyle becomes calmer. Then additional pounds are inevitably added.

Weight gain: causes and possible diseases

Physical causes

Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism): A deficiency in the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine and thyroxine affects the body and even the mind. The hormones slow down your metabolism. Weight gain despite loss of appetite, difficulty concentrating, easy fatigue, depressive moods and dry skin are the consequences. The heartbeat also slows down. In women, cycle fluctuations can also be observed.

Cushing's Syndrome: Steroid hormones, including cortisol, are produced in the adrenal cortex. The control for the release of these hormones works via a control circuit in the pituitary gland (pituitary gland). If this set of rules is disturbed by tumors in the pituitary gland or diseases of the adrenal cortex, the amount of steroid hormones increases - Cushing's syndrome develops. Weight gain with trunk obesity, moon face, thin arms and legs, less muscle mass and increased blood pressure are typical.

Hormone-producing tumors: Both malignant and benign tumors that are located in the area of ​​hormone-producing glands affect the release of the hormones. Overproduction or underfunction can occur. Depending on the gland, the effects on the body are different. Examples of such tumors are:

• Pituitary gland tumors
• Adrenal tumors
• Thyroid tumors

Edema: Diseases of certain organs cause water to accumulate in the tissues, which also causes weight gain. Obviously this will be swelling, fat legs, puffy face and eyelids, or even ascites. The causes are very different:

• Heart disease: right heart failure
• Liver diseases: cirrhosis of the liver often manifests itself as ascites.
• Kidney diseases: kidney failure (kidney failure), inflammation of the kidneys (glomerulonephritis)
• Allergies
• Lymphedema and disorders of the lymphatic drainage

Psychological causes

Mental stress can have an extreme effect on eating behavior and cause weight gain.

Binge eating: Along with anorexia nervosa and eating and vomiting addiction (bulimia), binge eating is also one of the eating disorders. The compulsion to eat constantly leads to weight gain, excessively overweight, or even obesity over time.

Excessive consumption of alcohol: Not only does a bad diet lead to weight gain, but years of excessive alcohol consumption also make you fat. Especially in women, the alcohol deposits as fat on the ribs and increases the waist size.

Stress: Especially with stress and lovesickness, people's tendencies cannot be more different. While some refuse to eat and suffer from poor appetite, others are plagued by cravings and consequently weight gain.

Depression: Depression has many faces. In addition to listlessness, sadness and suicidal thoughts, depression also has a strong effect on appetite. For some, the disease leads to a loss of appetite, for others to stuff the inner emptiness and sadness with food - the consequences are bacon and weight gain.

Medication

There are some medications that can affect weight.

Cortisone: The use of high doses of cortisone over a long period of time ultimately leads to symptoms like those of Cushing's syndrome. Water retention on the face and trunk obesity result in weight gain with a typical fat distribution.

Antidepressants: A dreaded side effect of some antidepressants is weight gain. It has an effect on the therapy in that patients can slide into a new depressive phase due to the excess pounds.

Insulin: A common side effect of conventional insulin therapy, in which insulin is administered according to a fixed schedule, is weight gain. You can try to counteract this with other therapy concepts. Water retention is also possible, albeit rarely.

Hormonal contraceptives (e.g. pill): Many women suffer from water retention while taking hormonal contraceptives. But an increase in fat can also often be observed because the body usually becomes more feminine.

Weight gain: when do you need to see a doctor?

Many people eat as much or as little as they used to, move just as much or little and still the weight climbs on the scales. A poor diet and lack of exercise are often to blame. Age can also play a role. In women, hormone fluctuations are often the cause of weight gain.

Doctors speak of weight gain due to illness if the body size continues to increase despite adequate nutrition and the causes are not obvious. In this case you should consult a doctor.

Even if a diet does not work at all, a medical examination can possibly clarify the stagnation of the weight. If, for example, it is caused by an underactive thyroid, any attempt at weight loss is difficult - but the disease can be treated well. Water retention in the tissue is always a reason for a doctor's visit.

So go to the doctor:

• Persistent weight gain for no apparent reason.
• Weight gain despite loss of appetite.
• Swelling, edema, fat legs, fat stomach.
• Additional complaints such as shortness of breath, shortness of breath or listlessness and loss of appetite.

Weight gain: what does the doctor do?

In a personal consultation with the patient (anamnesis), the doctor will first get an idea of ​​your state of health. Important points are clarified:

• Since when has this weight gain been going on?
• How many pounds have you put on?
• In addition to weight gain, do you experience other complaints such as tiredness, depression, listlessness or shortness of breath?
• Have your eating habits or the amount of activity changed?
• Do you have any other illnesses that could be causing the weight gain?
• Are you taking any medication that may explain weight gain?
• Have you just noticed weight gain or do you often suffer from fat legs or swelling?

During the subsequent physical examination, important key data are first determined, for example body weight and height. This can be used to determine the body mass index (BMI) by dividing the body weight by the square of the height in meters (kg / m2). It shows whether you are overweight or even obese (obese). BMI values ​​between 18.5 and 25 are considered normal weight.

During the physical exam, the doctor will also determine whether there is any swelling in the legs or abdomen, which could be the reason for the weight gain.
Blood samples are examined for various parameters in the laboratory. Important values ​​are the blood sugar level, blood lipids, thyroid hormones and values ​​that indicate changes in the kidneys or liver.

With the ultrasound (sonography) the condition of the internal organs such as the liver, pancreas (pancreas) and digestive organs can be visualized. Even the smallest accumulations of water of around 100 milliliters are visible in the abdomen, which can cause hidden weight gain.

The heart function is also examined using an electrocardiogram (EKG).

If a disease of the pituitary gland or the adrenal gland is suspected, a determination of the hormone concentrations and imaging tests help. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRT) can be used to dispel or confirm the suspicion of a hormone-producing tumor.

Sometimes doctors from multiple disciplines need to work together to uncover the causes of weight gain. These include hormone specialists (endocrinologist), gastrointestinal specialists (gastroenterologists) or nutritionists.

Weight Gain: You Can Do It Yourself

Many do not have an overview of how much they snack or eat in the course of a day. Especially when you are under high stress you always put a little "reward" in your mouth every now and then. The result can be seen the next time you walk on the scales. There is only one way to remedy the cause of this weight gain: exercise more and eat less!

There are countless diets that promise to drop the pounds in record time. They are often not effective in the long term, and sometimes the weight gain is more than ever before - this yo-yo effect is feared. The only way to lose weight is: get on with your lifestyle and eating habits! And for that you need perseverance and discipline.

These concepts will help you work on your weight:

Keep a diary: If the reason for the weight gain is still unclear, you should keep a food diary. In it, write down what and how much you ate and drank every day. It is also best to make a note of why you ate. A diary does not shed light on eating habits for you, but also gives a doctor or diet expert a helpful insight into your habits. You can see for yourself where your weaknesses are and what "eating type" you are. The small sins in between are often only uncovered.

Calorie Intake: It is best to use a dietitian or doctor to determine how many calories you should be consuming each day and how many you are actually eating. Many are not even aware of how many calories are hidden in certain foods. Sausage, mustard or a milk coffee do not look at the number of calories straight away. On your next visit to the supermarket, carefully study the list of ingredients and take a close look at the nutritional information of your favorite foods. Write down the approximate number of calories from your meal in your journal for several days to get a feel for it.

Hidden fats: Many foods contain more fat than you often realize. In order to lose weight permanently, you should not consume more than 30 grams of fat per day. This is not only possible by omitting the butter on the bread. Fats are hidden in sausage, cheese, chocolate and other "thick smacks". Again, pay close attention to the nutritional information and try to get a feel for healthy foods. You should by no means completely avoid fats, but rather enjoy them in moderation.

Nutrition group: The German Nutrition Society (DGE) has developed a nutrition group that describes how a balanced diet should be composed:

• Carbohydrates (cereals, cereal products, potatoes): 30 percent
• Vegetables and salad: around 25 percent
• Milk and dairy products: around 20 percent
• Fruit: around 15 percent
• Meat, sausage, fish and eggs: around 8 percent
• Fats and oils: about 2 percent

Then there are the drinks. However, some studies have shown that high levels of carbohydrates are not necessarily conducive to weight loss.Thus, the nutrition circle is a good guide, but not to be understood as a "law".

Diet change: The only way to combat weight gain and achieve permanent weight loss is to change your diet. Diets have the disadvantage that they are usually carried out very intensively over a short period of time and lead to weight loss very quickly. However, after the end of the diet, most of them fall back into their old eating habits - with the result of the notorious yo-yo effect. A change in diet initially requires a lot of discipline, but rewards those affected with a much better quality of life. For a healthy and balanced diet, you can use the nutrition group as a guide.

In order to lose weight, you should be careful to reduce the amount of carbohydrates. Fresh, crunchy vegetables, fruit, lots of fish and, above all, "white" meat such as chicken breast are low in fat and provide the body with important vitamins and nutrients. Many stimulating recipes show how you can cook healthy and low-fat. You don't necessarily have to do without the portion of pasta with the fried vegetables - it should just get smaller while the vegetables take up more space on the plate. Proteins in the form of meat, fish, and cottage cheese are always good.

Beware of dairy products: dairy products are healthy and provide the body with important calcium. However, cheese and cream contain a fair amount of fat, and that can lead to weight gain. So it is better to choose low-fat variants. The same goes for cream yogurt, creme fraiche and cream. Here, skimmed quark or milk are an alternative.

Healthy fats: A distinction is made between saturated fatty acids, which are found in meat, butter and cheese and which drive up the cholesterol level. There are also unsaturated fatty acids, some of which the body cannot produce itself. These include the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which are found particularly in high-fat fish such as salmon and have a positive effect on health. But monounsaturated fatty acids from olive oil or rapeseed oil also keep the cholesterol level in check. So it is better to consume unsaturated fats, but also in moderation to prevent weight gain.

Exercise: Exercise and exercise are very important for permanent weight loss. Find an activity that you enjoy. This can be anything from endurance sports such as Nordic walking to fast squash. The World Health Organization recommends that you exercise for around 30 minutes on at least five (better seven) days a week. This strengthens muscles, burns calories, prevents sagging body tissue and weight gain.

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