Unusual weight loss or weight gain without a change in the diet and fitness regimen can be an indicator of an underlying endocrine condition. Hormones regulate metabolic rate, appetitive behavior, energy level, and fat distribution in the body. Diseases of the endocrine system, such as those affecting the thyroid, diabetes, adrenal gland disorders, and other hormonal issues, can lead to weight loss or weight gain. It is important to consult with a doctor about any unusual weight changes.
Key Points
- Unexplained weight loss and weight gain must be discussed with a doctor.
- Endocrine system hormones regulate metabolism and body weight.
- The thyroid gland-related weight changes are one of the most common cases of endocrine-related weight gain and weight loss.
- There might be other signs of hormone imbalances that come before weight change.
Introduction
People are aware of the fact that an increase or decrease in weight can happen in response to eating differently or changing physical activity levels. However, what if there is an unexpected change in a person’s weight despite no changes in lifestyle or diet?
Sometimes unusual weight loss or gain can be a sign that there is something wrong happening in one’s body. In addition to stress, disease, or medication effects on body weight, an imbalance in the body’s hormones can be a significant reason for the change.
There are special hormones responsible for various bodily processes, such as metabolism rate, hunger, development, glucose level, and energy consumption. When these hormones become unbalanced, the body starts burning more calories, accumulating extra fat, or not using energy effectively.
Recognizing these early symptoms helps the person understand that there is a need to get some professional medical assistance. In this article, we will explain what is the difference between unexplained weight loss and weight gain, look at the most common reasons for the change, and find out when it is time to visit a doctor.
What Is Unexplained Weight Change?
It is natural for weight to fluctuate occasionally, depending on such factors as hydration, nutrition, physical activity, or the time of the day when one decides to measure their weight.
The issue becomes more serious when weight change occurs unexpectedly and for no clear reason.
Examples of unexplained weight change include:
- Continued consumption of the same diet leads to weight loss of several kilograms.
- Regular exercise results in unexpected weight gain.
- Weight change happens even without any significant lifestyle changes.
Usually, doctors take interest in weight loss of at least 5% within six to twelve months if it is not intentional and in unexpected weight gain despite a healthy lifestyle. These phenomena may not be associated with serious problems. It is still necessary to address them, especially if some other symptoms appear.
Endocrine System and Weight Change
The endocrine system is a complex of glands that produce hormones. The hormones are delivered by the blood and are responsible for regulating a number of body functions.
The hormones influencing body weight are:
- Hormones of the thyroid gland, which are responsible for energy consumption.
- Insulin, which controls glucose levels in the blood.
- Cortisol, which helps the body cope with stress.
- Growth hormone, which regulates the process of metabolism in muscles and fats.
- Sex hormones: estrogen and testosterone.
When the amount of hormones increases or decreases excessively, metabolism is accelerated or decelerated. As a consequence, people lose or gain weight despite normal nutrition.
That is why the thyroid weight changes and other weight problems connected with hormones must be checked during the examination of the whole organism.
Unexplained Weight Loss: Early Warning Signs
Loss of weight is not necessarily associated with reduced food intake. In some cases, the body burns calories at an increased rate or fails to absorb nutrients properly.
Common symptoms of unexplained weight loss include the following:
- Loss of weight without changes in your dietary habits or physical activity.
- Loose clothes without apparent reasons.
- Increased appetite.
- Excessive sweating.
- Tachycardia or palpitations.
- Restlessness and anxiety.
- Frequent bowel movements.
- Fatigue despite adequate food intake.
One Potential Cause: Hyperthyroidism
The most prevalent endocrine cause of weight loss that is not explainable is hyperthyroidism. In this disorder, the thyroid glands produce too much thyroid hormone. The increased thyroid hormone production causes the metabolic rate of the body to increase. In this way, your body will burn more calories than normal even when you are resting.
Other symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism are:
- Feeling hotter than usual
- Tremor in hands
- Increased heart rate
- Insomnia
- Increased hunger
- Irritability or nervousness
Weight Gain Without Apparent Cause: Is It Due to Your Hormones?
Although unintended weight loss is a more common issue, weight gain without any apparent reason could also be another indicator of an existing endocrine disease.
If you find yourself putting on weight even when consuming healthy foods and exercising regularly, then hormonal changes are possibly affecting the way your body handles fats, energy consumption, and hunger.
A hormonal cause of weight gain tends to progress over time and is noticed when one feels clothes are tighter, gains weight in the belly area, and has trouble losing weight despite leading a better lifestyle.
Hypothyroidism – One of the Possible Reasons
One of the most typical cases of thyroid weight gain is hypothyroidism – a situation where the thyroid gland produces an insufficient amount of thyroid hormone.
A reduced level of hormones means that a person’s metabolism becomes slower. In other words, your body spends less energy to function, and this leads to the ability to gain extra weight easily.
Typical symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
- Unrelenting fatigue
- Frequent feeling of cold even when the weather is warm
- Dry skin
- Brittle hair
- Constipation
- Swollen face
- Slow heart rate
- Lack of concentration
(PCOS)
PCOS is one of the most frequent conditions related to hormones in females of reproductive age.
One of the common problems that women with PCOS have is insulin resistance, which makes the body less sensitive to the effects of insulin, resulting in fat accumulation, mainly at the waist.
Other symptoms may include:
- Irregular menstruation
- Acne
- Increased hair growth on the face and body
- Difficulty conceiving
- Darkening of the skin around the neck or armpits
- Hair loss on the scalp
Due to the gradual onset of symptoms, women usually do not know that the hormone imbalance is responsible for their weight issues.
Cushing’s Syndrome
Less frequently encountered, but still a form of endocrine disorder that causes weight gain is Cushing’s syndrome.
This condition develops due to the presence of high amounts of the hormone cortisol (known as the stress hormone) in the body for an extended time.
In contrast to ordinary weight gain, Cushing’s syndrome patients tend to develop fat deposits in certain parts of their body, such as:
- Face (leading to the development of moon face)
- Upper back or the area between the shoulders
- Abdomen
Moreover, patients may exhibit other signs, including:
- Purple stretch marks
- Easily bruised skin
- Weak muscles
- High blood pressure
- Changes in mood
Early Signs of Hormonal Imbalance You Shouldn’t Dismiss
Weight fluctuations are just one of the many symptoms of a hormonal disorder. Many types of endocrine disorders have an impact on different parts of the body simultaneously.
The most common symptoms of hormonal imbalance include:
- Fatigue
- Sleeping problems
- Mood swings
- Anxiety or depression
- Experiencing unusual sensitivity to temperature
- Hair loss or thinning
- Dry skin
- Sweating more than usual
- Changes in appetite
- Irregularities in menstrual cycles
- Decreased libido
- Weakness of muscles
- Headaches
These symptoms do not affect everybody; you might be experiencing only one or two of them before the problems become more obvious.
Is It Possible to Treat Hormonal Weight Changes?
Yes. There are plenty of situations where the reasons for unexpected weight changes due to some kind of endocrine disorder can be found and cured.
Depending on what kind of hormones are involved, the treatment will vary. For instance:
- Treatment of hypothyroidism includes hormonal replacement therapy;
- Treatment of hyperthyroidism can include hormone replacement therapy, radioactive iodine therapy, or surgery in rare cases;
- Polycystic ovary syndrome can be treated by changing one’s lifestyle, taking medicines that help regulate metabolism, etc.;
- Diabetes and insulin resistance can be treated through proper diet, exercise, weight loss, medications, etc.;
- Treatment of Cushing’s syndrome includes eliminating the excess of cortisol produced in the body.
Trying to lose or gain weight without fixing the problems with hormones may not work.
