Why do labs gain weight so easily
What causes rapid weight gain?
Rapid weight gain may be caused by lifestyle changes like quitting smoking. However, it may also indicate an underlying medical condition, such as kidney disease, insomnia, and cirrhosis.
Many people experience short-term weight fluctuations of
However, rapid weight gain may also be a sign of several underlying health conditions that require medical treatment.
This article discusses 11 possible causes of rapid weight gain and other accompanying symptoms to look out for.
Certain types of medications may cause people to gain weight,
Not every medication in these categories will cause weight fluctuations. However, if a person experiences rapid weight gain, it is important they speak with a doctor before they stop taking them.
Insomnia may contribute to weight gain in children, adolescents, and adults.
A lack of sleep may affect a persons circadian rhythm, which may lead to weight gain by
- appetite hormones
- energy needs and expenditure
- food choices
In a
Some people may gain weight initially when they stop smoking tobacco products.
Nicotine, which is found in cigarettes and other tobacco products, may increase a persons metabolism and
A
However, changes in weight as a result of quitting smoking vary depending on the person. Researchers from another study found that
Rapid weight gain or swelling in particular areas of the body (edema) can be due to fluid retention.
According to the
If blood is flowing slowly to and from the heart, it affects the function of other major organs in the body. As a result, fluid collects in the tissues, which may cause weight gain and swelling in the:
- stomach area
- ankles
- legs
- feet
A persons weight usually fluctuates by a few pounds over the course of a day. If their weight returns to normal and they do not have additional symptoms, the temporary increase may simply be caused by bloating and fluid retention.
Other signs and symptoms of heart failure include:
A person should seek medical attention if they experience any of these symptoms alongside rapid weight gain.
Sudden weight gain or swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet may be a sign of kidney disease, such as kidney failure or nephrotic syndrome.
The kidneys are responsible for filtering out waste products and fluids from the body. If they are damaged, they may not properly excrete these and the body may retain fluid, resulting in weight gain.
Other symptoms that may indicate a kidney problem include:
Cirrhosis is a progressive condition in which scar tissue replaces healthy tissue in the liver. This could cause abdominal fluid buildup (ascites), which may cause:
A person should speak with a doctor if they experience rapid weight gain and any of these symptoms.
Cushings syndrome occurs when the body produces too much cortisol, which is a hormone that enables the body to respond to stress.
It is
Symptoms of Cushings syndrome
If a medication is causing Cushings syndrome, a person should speak to a doctor about the possibility of changing their treatment plan.
Acromegaly is a hormonal condition that happens if the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone.
Symptoms of acromegaly may
People with acromegaly may require surgery or radiation therapy to remove a benign tumor on the pituitary gland.
Ovarian cancer refers to any cancer that begins in the ovaries.
Some people may not feel symptoms in the early stages. However, as the disease progresses, people with ovarian cancer may experience weight gain and other symptoms,
- pain in the abdomen or pelvis
- difficulty sleeping
- frequent or urgent need to urinate
- loss of appetite or feeling full quickly
- unusual menstrual cycle
- indigestion
Ovarian cancer often reaches the later stages without detection, so anyone with abnormal pain in the pelvic region should speak to a doctor. Diagnosing cancer at an earlier stage generally results in a better prognosis.
If people are experiencing rapid and unintentional weight gain with no clear cause, they should see a doctor.
The doctor will ask about the individuals medical history and any additional symptoms. They may carry out a physical examination and blood tests or refer the person to a specialist.
How did I gain 5 pounds in one day?
It is normal for people to experience short-term weight fluctuations. For example, the body may fluctuate between
- intestinal contents
- glycogen stores
- water stores
- labile protein stores
Why did I gain 10 pounds in a week?
A person may experience weight fluctuations for a variety of reasons, such as:
A person should speak with a doctor if they experience rapid weight gain that is not caused by the above triggers.
Weight gain and short-term fluctuations may happen for a variety of reasons, such as aging or making lifestyle and dietary changes.
However, fast weight gain can be a sign of an underlying health condition, such as a problem with the thyroid, kidneys, or heart.
Anyone who experiences rapid, unexplained weight gain should see a doctor to determine the underlying cause and develop a treatment plan.
Why do some people never gain weight?
It's one of life's great injustices: Some people must carefully pay attention to everything they put in their mouths in order to maintain their weight, while others can eat doughnuts to their heart's content and achieve the same result. So what's the secret? How do some people manage to never gain weight?
There isn't one simple answer to this question, said Kathleen Melanson, a professor of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Rhode Island. "There's genetic, nutritional, and even behavioral factors involved," Melanson told Live Science, "and the extent to which each of those factors come into play in any given individual is going to vary."
One of the most important factors has nothing to do with body type, metabolism, or performing a spell during the full moon: It's perception. Many people who appear to eat whatever they like without gaining weight aren't actually eating more than the rest of us, Melanson said. For example, your friend who eats ice cream on a daily basis might naturally compensate for those extra calories by eating less at another meal, or snacking less throughout the rest of the day. Or perhaps, when they eat pizza, they're eating slowly, getting full, then stopping after just a few slices.
Related: Can you turn fat into muscle?
"If you measured these people's calories, they may not eat as much as you think," said Dr. Frank Greenway, the Chief Medical Officer at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. "They're just eating calorically dense foods when they do eat; things other people might have a difficult time not overeating."
Physical activity can also make a difference, but it doesn't have to be a gym workout. "Some people just move more, even if they're not necessarily athletes," Melanson said. For instance, they might fidget or pace, have an active job, or spend all day chasing their kids around. Theres even evidence that some people are genetically predisposed to want to move their body, Melanson said. That extra movement can also rev up the body's metabolism, or how much energy your body spends throughout the day, not including exercise. The more you move, the more "the mitochondria within the cells of the muscle will increase in number and in their activity. And those are the power plants that are creating energy, using energy for movement," Melanson said. More mitochondria, means more calories burned.
There's little evidence to suggest that without exercise some people are born burning significantly more calories than others, said Dr. Ines Barroso, a researcher at the University of Cambridge in England who studies the genetics of obesity. But there may be physiological differences that allow some people to naturally moderate the number of calories they consume without exercising tremendous self restraint, Melanson said. Cascades of nervous system signals and hormones that circulate in our blood interact to tell us when we're hungry or full. This is called the appetite regulatory system, and it may be more sensitive in some people than others, Melanson said.
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One important hormone involved in this system is leptin. It helps regulate how much food we want to eat over longer periods of time, not just for our next meal. So a person with a more sensitive system might go back for seconds and thirds at a party, then feel full for the next few days and eat less. "They just automatically can kind of recalibrate their energy balance because their appetite signaling system can say, 'Okay, we got enough energy,'" Melanson said.
Genetics can play a role in a person's tendency to gain or lose weight. Researchers have identified over 250 different regions of DNA that are associated with obesity, according to a 2019 study published in PLOS Genetics. For this study, researchers compared 1,622 healthy people with low body mass index (BMI) against 1,985 people with severe obesity and 10,433 control people of normal weight. They found that the thin participants had fewer genes associated with obesity. But according to Barroso, who was a co-author on the study, genes alone don't determine your weight. "We didn't find genes that were exclusively either protecting from obesity or predisposing someone to obesity. It seemed like a continuum," Barroso said, "You also have people who have the genetic determinants for obesity yet they're not [obese]." Barroso said.
In the end, the answer is complex: our tendency to gain weight or maintain our weight isn't pre-determined, but it's also not entirely under our control. There's no genetic on-off switch that allows some people to eat all they want without gaining weight; at the same time, a tendency to gain weight isn't necessarily due to a lack of self control, Melanson said.
"It's not the same from one person to another."
Originally published on Live Science.
