Sudden weight gain

Sudden weight gain is defined as unintended body weight increase, which appears as a result of unwanted intake of calories. When a person takes in more calories than it is actually needed, these extra calories are not burned and become harmful for the health of the body. The sudden weight gain should not be ignored in the initial stages since it can continue in a more rapid way to the point when it causes many serious health issues.

Causes of sudden weight gain

There are certain so-called habitual things that can cause sudden weight gain, such as, for example, stress, excessive consumption of alcohol, overeating, physical inactivity and quitting smoking. Furthermore, sudden weight gain is quite normal for women who stay pregnant.However, sometimes people experience sudden weight gain even though they exercise regularly and they are on a diet. When this happens, then the sudden weight gain has some underlying cause, which should be identified.There are certain prescribed medicines that tend to decrease desire for exercising and thus eventually lead to the sudden weight gain. For instance, the medication prescribed to treat arthritis, diabetes medication, anticoagulants and antidepressants are the drugs that have sudden weight gain as a side effect.Hypothyroidism is among the most common triggers of sudden gaining of body weight in women. When the thyroid gland does not create enough amount of its hormones, the metabolic rate is reduced and the person loses appetite and gains weight.Many people tend to relieve certain psychological states, such as depression, anxiety, nervousness, anger, guilt and many others by eating, and thus they gain excess body weight.The adrenal glands create hormone cortisol to manage stress, but when this hormone is excessively produced, the condition called Cushing’s syndrome is developed. This condition leads to the accumulation of fat in the upper back, abdomen and face.Sudden weight gain can be caused when the levels of blood sugar constantly fluctuate. For example, when one eats simple and refined carbohydrates like chocolate in excessive amounts, it increases drastically the levels of the glucose in the blood, which further causes the insulin discharge in great amounts. High levels of insulin need more sugar and eventually, the person gains excess body weight.The insufficiency of omega-3 essential fatty acids together with a couple of other essential fatty acids causes cravings form the fatty foods and thus leads to sudden weight gain.Sudden weight gain may also be induced by heart, kidney and liver diseases, as well as by some other condition that causes fluid retention.