5 medical reasons for not losing weight
Several medical conditions may explain the inability to lose weight.
Chronic anxiety
When you live with anxiety, stress, or grief, your body can produce hormones like cortisol – that make your body more likely to store fat, especially around the waist.
Cushing’s syndrome
This happens when the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) produce too much cortisol, which leads to a buildup of fat in the face, upper back, and abdomen.
Hypothyroidism
If your thyroid is underactive, your body may not produce enough thyroid hormone to help burn stored fat. As a result, your metabolism is slower and you will store more fat than you burn – especially if you’re not physically active.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
This disease results from a hormonal imbalance. Common symptoms are irregular menstrual bleeding, acne, excessive facial hair, thinning hair, difficulty getting pregnant, and weight gain that is not caused by excessive eating.
Syndrome X
Also called insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels), syndrome X goes hand-in-hand with weight gain. Syndrome X is a cluster of health conditions thought to be rooted in insulin resistance. When your body is resistant to the hormone insulin, other hormones that help control your metabolism don’t work as well.
Depression
Many people who are depressed turn to eating to ease their emotional distress.
Hormonal changes in women
Some women may gain weight at times in their lives when there is a shift in their hormones – at puberty, during pregnancy, and at menopause.
Medication
Insulin therapy affects weight loss in diabetic individuals, triggering appetite, causing hypoglycemia and increasing body fat.
Beta-blockers ae thought to cause long-term weight gain in some people, but their effect on weight loss in response to hypocaloric regimens is unclear.
Antidepressants have indicated an association with obesity in observational studies; and there is some evidence suggesting their role in weight gain – but causal links and their effect on weight loss requires further investigation.
Other reasons
Elderly patients will not lose as much weight as younger patients due to ageing.
Other resource
Review article: Dabas, 2024
