AARP Hearing Center
It may be what registers on the scale or what you see in the mirror that first gets your attention. For most people over 50, however, weight has been creeping up for decades. On average, Americans gain around 1 to 2 pounds per year during early and middle adulthood, according to research.
Muscle mass generally declines with age. Consequently, metabolism slows down somewhat as well, causing changes in body composition.
“A lot of weight gain really occurs gradually,” says Srividya Kidambi, M.D., endocrinologist and codirector for the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network Medical Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Program in Milwaukee.
What causes rapid weight gain?
Some people do experience sudden or more severe weight gain, which can be linked to everything from high levels of stress and trauma to taking certain medications.
Research shows it’s not a good idea to get too comfortable with gradual weight gain, either. Being at a higher-than-healthy weight raises the risk of a wide range of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, sexual dysfunction and mental health issues. So it’s important to talk with your doctor if you experience unexplained weight gain, whether gradual or sudden, to understand the causes and bring your weight back under control.
Conditions and diseases that cause weight gain: The exception, not the rule
It’s far more likely that your weight gain is contributing to a medical condition rather than that a medical condition caused you to gain weight. For most people, the likeliest culprits are simply eating too much or consuming poorer-quality foods and becoming more sedentary with age.
“What has caused the high prevalence of weight gain in this country is the imbalance of the energy regulation system,” emphasizes Caroline Apovian, M.D., obesity medicine specialist and codirector of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “We think that was caused early on in childhood by the increased availability of high-calorie, high-fat, ultra-processed foods.”
Less commonly, however, some medical conditions can contribute to weight gain. These include:
- Syndromic obesity (obesity that occurs with other known clinical features)
- Cushing syndrome
- Depression (which can lead to weight gain or loss)
- Heart failure (A gain of 2 to 3 pounds in a 24-hour period or 5 pounds in a week could be a sign that this condition is worsening, causing fluid retention, according to the American Heart Association.)
- Poor sleep
For women, menopause causes hormonal changes and contributes to sleep loss, both of which can lead to weight gain. During this period, body fat is redistributed, often around the midsection, and a loss of estrogen causes mood and sleep disorders, says Apovian, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
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