Weight Change: Causes & Reasons

Warning: Do not use in emergencies, if pregnant, if under 18, or as a substitute for a doctor’s advice or diagnosis. Learn more

Possible Causes for Weight Change

Anorexia Nervosa

Global volume alterations were associated with weight changes. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

It is possible for a person with anorexia nervosa to display a combination of these symptoms, or no obvious symptoms. • Sudden weight loss, frequent weight changes, persistent [nedc.com.au]

Someone with anorexia nervosa may display a combination of the following symptoms: Rapid weight loss or frequent weight change; unable to maintain normal body weight Loss [nedc.com.au]

Depression

Appetite or weight changes. Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month. Sleep changes. [helpguide.org]

changes Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide Physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, or back pain Experiencing some combination of these symptoms for a period [psycom.net]

change If someone in your life has five of the above symptoms (with at least one of them being a mood symptom) present every day for most of the day during the same two week [teenmentalhealth.org]

Substance Abuse

[…] accidental injuries Depression or anxiety Labile hypertension Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as epigastric distress, diarrhea, or weight changes Sexual dysfunction Sleep [aafp.org]

Common signs and symptoms of depression Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness Loss of interest in daily activities Inability to experience pleasure Appetite or weight [helpguide.org]

[…] in appetite and weight loss Increased strain on the liver, which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver failure Seizures, stroke, mental confusion and [gatewayfoundation.org]

Malignant Neoplasm of the Ovary

[…] in bowel habits, extreme fatigue or unexplained weight loss. [ovariancanada.org]

Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include: Abdominal bloating or swelling Quickly feeling full when eating Weight loss Discomfort in the pelvis area Changes in bowel [mayoclinic.org]

difficulty eating or feeling full quickly Pain - in pelvic or abdominal areas Urinary symptoms - urgency or frequency Occasionally there can be other symptoms such as changes [ovariancanada.org]

Physical Addiction

Changes in Physical Appearance Are you suddenly showing major changes in your appearance? [denverrecoverycenter.com]

Some of the signs of an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol are: Mood swings Rapid changes in weight Bloodshot eyes Enlarged/ reduced size of pupils Tremors Changes in sleeping [newperspectivesfl.com]

Perhaps you have extreme weight loss, strange marks on the skin, or continual bloodshot eyes. [denverrecoverycenter.com]

Drug Dependence

Physical Loss or increase in appetite, change in eating habits, unexplained weight loss or gain Slowed or staggered walking, bumping into things Smell of alcohol on breath [sfad.org.uk]

Page 24 - 1975): Changes in the overall consumption of alcoholic beverages have a bearing on the health of the people in any society. [books.google.com]

Losing weight without trying to, or not feeling like eating. Changes in how well you sleep. Seeing things that don't exist (hallucinations). [northshore.org]

Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytoma

These are commonly homogenous lesions with occasional cystic changes that appear isohypointese on T1-weighted (T1W) and hyperintense on T2W images with marked contrast enhancement [neurologyindia.com]

Weakness or change in feeling on one side of the body. Unusual sleepiness. More or less energy than usual. Change in personality or behavior. Seizures. [northshore.org]

Name Hormone Symptoms Prolactinoma Prolactin Women: breast milk production, change in menstrual period. Men: breast enlargement, impotence. [aans.org]

Streptococcus Pneumoniae

Journal List Cureus v.9(12); 2017 Dec PMC5820018 Cureus. 2017 Dec; 9(12): e1967. Monitoring Editor: Alexander Muacevic and John R Adler Abstract Streptococcus pneumoniae is a pathogen known to cause pneumonia, sinusitis, meningitis, and otitis media, but is overlooked as a pathogen causing gastrointestinal illness. We[…] [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Obesity

[…] an explanation for weight-change data. [dx.doi.org]

Weight change and incident gout As reflected in the person-year totals under weight change categories in Table 3, most men had experienced weight gain since age 21 years and [doi.org]

[…] between weight changes and changes in dietary components. [dx.doi.org]

Severe Depressive Episode

changes Trouble sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping Decreased energy, fatigue Low self-esteem Poor concentration or difficulty making decisions Feelings of [ifred.org]

Weight changes. Significant loss of weight or weight gain that is not intentional but is triggered by overeating or loss of appetite. Sleep changes. [bridgestorecovery.com]

Loss of interest or anhedonia Feelings of worthlessness or guilt Fatigue or loss of energy Diminished concentration, ability to think, or make decisions (→ Pseudodementia ) Weight [amboss.com]

Brief Psychotic Disorder

Advanced Search Help Advanced search lets you search selected properties of the classification. You could search all properties or a selected subset only First, you need to provide keywords in the Search Text field then check the properties that you'd like to include in the search. The system will search for the[…] [icd.who.int]

Psychological Dependence

Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism Type 16

[…] gain Mood changes Infertility Exams and Tests The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. [pennmedicine.org]

[…] cases) Adults: Loss of interest in sex (libido) in men Loss of menstrual periods (amenorrhea) in women Decreased energy and interest in activities Loss of muscle mass in men Weight [pennmedicine.org]

Haemonchiasis

Parasitological (faecal egg counts, parasitaemia), haematological (packed cell volume, white blood cell counts, albumin) and clinical parameters (body weight change, mortality [cabi.org]

Juvenile Absence Epilepsy

The most common adverse effects of treatment with valproate were fatigue, nausea, vomiting, increased appetite with weight gain, behavioural/psychiatric changes (decreased [cochranelibrary.com]

[…] reported by the studies assessing this drug (Callaghan 1982; Sato 1982; Martinovic 1983; Huang 2009; Glauser 2013a) were fatigue, nausea, vomiting, increased appetite with weight [cochranelibrary.com]

Bouillaud's Syndrome

A prevalent polymorphism in the promoter of the UCP3 gene and its relationship to body mass index and long term body weight change in the Danish population. j Clin Endoctinol [paediatricaindonesiana.org]

Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Lifestyle changes (eg, weight loss, regular exercise, reduction of dietary sodium) can decrease risk by decreasing lower extremity venous pressure. [merckmanuals.com]

Making changes in your life can help, such as: Losing weight Being active each day Eating less salt (sodium) If you've had deep vein thrombosis, your doctor may prescribe [merckmanuals.com]

Skin changes range on a continuum from normal skin or mildly ectatic veins to severe stasis dermatitis and ulceration. [merckmanuals.com]

Singh-Chhaparwal-Dhanda Syndrome

Looking at a person's body to check for normal findings and any changes that may indicate a diagnosis. [rarediseases.info.nih.gov]

[…] during the exam may differ depending on the symptoms but commonly involve: Checking a person's vital signs, including temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, weight [rarediseases.info.nih.gov]

Bulimia Nervosa Purging Type

changes. [thefeedblog.com]

Someone with anorexia nervosa may display a combination of the following symptoms: Rapid weight loss or frequent weight change; unable to maintain normal body weight Loss [nedc.com.au]

secretive, or antisocial behaviors related to food Being intensely concerned with body weight Using dietary supplements incorrectly How Is Bulimia Diagnosed? [everydayhealth.com]

Depressive Episode

Weight changes. Significant loss of weight or weight gain that is not intentional but is triggered by overeating or loss of appetite. Sleep changes. [bridgestorecovery.com]

[…] in appetitite or weight, sleep, and psychomotor activity; decreased energy; feelings of worthlessness or guilt; difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions; or [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]

They may eat very little or eat to excess so as to comfort themselves, possibly leading to rapid changes in weight. [mentalhelp.net]

Striae Distensae

Abstract Striae distensae (SD) are common dermatologic lesions that often arise as a result of rapid weight change, certain endocrine conditions, or prolonged exposure to [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Abstract Striae distensae are a frequent skin condition associated with pregnancy, weight change or lack of skin elasticity. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Such changes commonly occur in pregnancy as well as in puberty when they is are rapid growth and weight changes. [genevadermatology.ch]

Medroxyprogesterone

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Absolute and percent change in BMD from 0-48 weeks at the L1-L4 lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck; absolute and percent change in weight at [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Limited evidence reported no consistent differences in weight change or bleeding patterns according to age; however, adolescents ( adverse effects among obese and nonobese [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

changes Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. [mayoclinic.org]

Secondary Malnutrition

They obtained data on weight change from the paper by Arnold by reading mean changes off the graph, calculating the per cent weight change in pounds (baseline data is given [cochranelibrary.com]

[…] well alongside weight and WHZ changes. [academic.oup.com]

The condition's onset is so sudden that body fat and muscle mass of normal-weight people may not change. Some patients even gain weight because of fluid retention. [healthofchildren.com]

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Heidenhain Variant

The most sensitive sequence to identify characteristic changes is diffusion-weighted imaging (e.g. b=1000) which demonstrates increased signal, that is more conspicuous than [radiopaedia.org]

Changes are more apparent in diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). [clinmedjournals.org]

C: Axial diffusion-weighted MRI, at the level of the basal ganglia and thalami, showing no changes in signal intensity. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Depressive Disorder

Anhedonia Feelings of worthlessness or disproportionate guilt Fatigue or loss of energy Diminished concentration, cognition, and ability to make decisions (pseudodementia) Weight [amboss.com]

Major depressive disorder is a mood disorder characterized by a number of key features: Depressed mood Lack of interest in activities normally enjoyed Changes in weight Changes [verywellmind.com]

[…] loss or gain Significant weight loss (without dieting) or gain (change of >5% body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day; in children, [mdcalc.com]

Secondary Amenorrhea

Pregnancy: Potential for pregnancy, currently breastfeeding Lifestyle factors such as stress, nutrition, exercise, weight changes Medication: THC, antipsychotics, or irradiation [sketchymedicine.com]

Symptoms In addition to having no menstrual periods, other symptoms can include: Breast size changes Weight gain or weight loss Discharge from the breast or change in breast [ufhealth.org]

Family history: PCOS physical exam Vitals, height, weight Breasts: galactorrhea? [sketchymedicine.com]

Morbid Obesity

Detailed recording of side effects, weight changes, food intake patterns, metabolic changes, and behavioral evaluations will be obtained throughout the study. [clinicaltrials.gov]

Objective: To determine whether there are differences between sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in terms of weight loss, changes in comorbidities, increase in [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Weight, weight change and coronary heart disease in women. Risk within the ‘normal’ weight range. JAMA. 1995;273:461–465. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] 21. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Conjugated Hyperbilirubinemia

Weight, either reported as changes in weight or number of infants with significant weight loss (greater than 10% of birth weight), measured at defined intervals such as weekly [cochranelibrary.com]

Indirect evidence shows that dehydration in a newborn infant, reflected as significant weight loss, predisposes the infant to severe hyperbilirubinaemia (Chang 2012; Huang [cochranelibrary.com]

Whether the infant has achieved adequate daily fluid intake is mainly determined clinically via an assessment of hydration status, weight change, and stool and urine output [cochranelibrary.com]

Anovulation

Making changes to your weight (gaining or losing weight as directed by your doctor) may also be enough to restart stalled ovulation. [healthline.com]

Sometimes chronic anovulation can be resolved with lifestyle changes, like weight loss or gain, or by reducing intense exercise. 8. Can I get pregnant with anovulation? [clearblue.com]

For women struggling with obesity or a high BMI, we recommend they make changes to be at a healthier weight. [fertility.womenandinfants.org]

Metabolic Syndrome

Weight change was calculated as the percent change between each visit relative to the initial visit [(weight in kg in current visit – weight in kg at visit 1)/weight in kg [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

change. 22 This indicates that there are ongoing metabolic changes induced by weight reduction that continue to improve even when the weight loss has plateaued. [doi.org]

Doctors might recommend weight loss surgery for some teens with metabolic syndrome and severe obesity who do not respond to lifestyle changes. [kidshealth.org]