2023-07-26 19:31:00
Rapid weight gain and diseases (endocrine, hormone-related, autoimmune, etc.), what are we talking about?
Le syndrome de Cushing
Relatively rare, Cushing’s syndrome, due to hypersecretion by the adrenal glands of cortisol, is one of the classic but very rare causes of weight gain” says the doctor Jean-Michel Lecerf. And even if this pathology is treated relatively well thanks to screening by hormonal dosage, it must be admitted that this disease has rather unsightly consequences on the body: so-called “truncal” weight gain (located on the upper part of the body), swollen face, redness…
polycystic ovary syndrome
This syndrome is an abnormal disorder in women and may be accompanied by one or more symptoms such as hyperpilosity, amenorrhea or menstruation disorder. “The weight gain is almost constant and mainly localized at the abdominal level” explains Dr. Jean-Michel Lecerf, specialist in endocrinology. “Hormonal treatment accompanied by a rebalancing of food will be indicated in the event of a proven diagnosis.”
Does a thyroid disorder make you fat?
“Yes, and unlike hyperthyroidism, which leads to weight loss; hypothyroidism is quite often accompanied by weight gain due to the slowing of the metabolism, which facilitates an accumulation of fat and water in the adipose tissue” explains Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf. “For more or less obvious reasons (genetic predispositions, etc.), thyroid problems affect women 5 times more than men,” adds the doctor.
Genetic diseases
“Certain fairly rare genetic diseases, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, can lead to excess weight in children,” adds Dr. Jean-Michel Lecerf. Weight gain is associated with the fact that the child is almost always hungry. The doctor adds: “Similarly, trisomy 21 can be associated with excess weight. »
Which cancer is more common when overweight?
” There are several of them. In women, we can cite, for example, endometrial or breast cancer (after menopause); and in men, that of the prostate mainly. In both sexes, that of the colon, rectum and pancreas combined” specifies Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf.
Diabetes, heart failure or even depression can have an influence on weight.
Drug treatments that influence weight gain
Beyond the diseases that directly influence weight gain, it is also necessary to address the pathologies whose it is the drug treatment that acts on the weight gain.
Corticosteroids
“When prescribed in high doses for several weeks or months, corticosteroids frequently induce weight gain in patients: water retention swelling of the face…” This treatment with adverse effects is however and often the best option. indicated to treat certain inflammatory diseases such as polyarthritis or Horton’s disease…)” illustrates Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf.
Neuroleptics
Neuroleptics, indicated in patients suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or hallucinatory psychosis, can be associated with sometimes very high weight gain, up to 15 kilos. In question: modification of the basic metabolism causing a craving for sweet tastes (sodas, cakes, etc.) “explains Dr. Jean-Michel Lecerf. “In many cases, these heavy treatments and high doses will however be essential to stabilize and cure these highly disabling disorders for the patient” nuance the medical specialist.
Antidepressants
These first are to be distinguished from neuroleptics since they will be mainly prescribed to treat depression. Among the antidepressants that can make you fat, we can mention the so-called “imipramine” antidepressants (amitriptyline, doxepin, imipramine, etc.) and the so-called “tetracyclic” antidepressants (mianserin, etc.). And if in many situations, it will be difficult to do without it, being able to talk with your doctor about these possible undesirable effects on weight will allow you to moderate the dosage and thus limit weight gain.
To this list of drugs that can have an impact on weight gain, let’s add and to a lesser extent, certain antihistamines or treatments indicated in women such as synthetic progestins but also insulin or sulfonamides in the context of diabetes. . “Repeated antibiotic therapy in newborns/infants would also be a risk factor for later overweight and obesity, in negative interaction with caesarean section due to changes in the microbiota” adds Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf.
Menopause and weight gain: a special case
If menopause is not a disease in the strict sense of the term but quite simply a natural mechanism of aging in women, it is important to remember its link with weight gain. “This is mainly explained by body modification with a reduction in fat mass and a change in the distribution of adipose tissue in favor of abdominal-visceral adipose tissue,” explains doctor Jean-Michel Lecerf. He adds with nuance: “Weight gain during menopause is not inevitable. Its management must include an incentive to increase physical activity and dietary advice. Diets are not recommended, however, it is necessary to realize step-by-step changes.”
How to lose the kilos linked to a pathology?
“Whatever the cause (metabolic disease, taking medication, overeating, etc.), kilos that have set in over time will always be more complicated to dislodge” warns Dr. Jean-Michel Lecerf. He explains: “In Indeed, the adipose tissue becomes inflammatory and it then becomes more difficult to reverse the weight curve. Obesity is the most telling example, with the difficulty of getting out of it once and for all.” The risks of recurrence are indeed numerous and this chronic disease is moreover classified as a global epidemic. The WHO ( World Health Organization) also recalls on its website that on a global scale, the number of cases of obesity has almost tripled since 1975 (source 1).
We should also not forget that weight gain is associated with other of the most common factors:
- Without forgetting, a lack of physical activity which in many cases explains overweight or obesity.
- Epigenetic factors and the microbiota: “Certain events extremely early in utero, at birth and in the first months of life (stress, overeating, deficiencies in the mother, etc.) influence the child’s microbiota. And we know that the microbiota is a probably important factor in weight gain and/or low-grade inflammation associated with overweight,” explains the doctor,” says Dr. Jean-Michel Lecerf.
- The mode of childbirth : “Delivery by caesarean section is a risk factor for later overweight and obesity for the child which would imply a modification of the microbiota transmitted by the mother to the newborn” explains Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf.
- Genetic factors are also an explanation for excess weight in individuals,
- life events : sexual assault, incest, death, divorce, dismissal, quitting smoking… are all reasons that can explain a weight imbalance,
- The question of stress, bad sleep, the question of work rhythm (night shifts)…also play a role in weight management,
- The bad diet whose “ultra-processed” products are also accused by some researchers of being real endocrine disruptors.
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