Gaining weight without a clear explanation?

A few kilograms more

For Vlada the changes began after her treatment changed, for Mstyslav rapid weight gain comes with swelling, and Panas has lost his walks from his day. The section “Weight gain has many causes” explains why weight cannot be put down to effort alone.

If at least one of these stories resembles yours, note when the changes began. If none of them fits, the questions in the section “Is the change gradual or sudden?” can help you describe them.

Discussing changes before starting a diet

Before starting a diet, it helps to understand what has changed:

• Observation. For a while, notice not only the number on the scales but also your appetite, eating routine, sleep, physical activity and mood.
• Supports. Regular meals, enough sleep and manageable activity help keep your weight more stable. Panas in our example, for instance, could bring back at least a short evening walk.
• Food and emotions. If you eat without physical hunger at tense moments, note these situations and gradually add other ways of coping with tension.

Strict diets and sharp restrictions can increase hunger and trigger overeating. If your weight started rising after a medicine was prescribed, do not stop it on your own: discuss it with the doctor who prescribed it.

Weight gain has many causes

Weight gain can be linked to eating, activity, medicines or changes in health. Rapid gain together with swelling, as with Mstyslav in our example, may mean fluid retention and needs a medical assessment.

If low mood and loss of interest in life persist along with weight gain, a doctor may also assess for depression. Weight gain on its own does not yet mean that you have this disorder.

Is the change gradual or sudden?

Weight gain is an increase in body weight compared with your usual level. To describe the change, answer these questions:

• How long ago did your weight start to rise?
• How quickly is it happening?
• Have your appetite, portion sizes and how often you eat changed?
• Do you have episodes of overeating or a sense of losing control while eating?
• Has your physical activity decreased?
• Have the length and quality of your sleep changed?

If your weight is rising quickly and you have swelling, breathlessness or chest pain, see the first points of the section “Show your doctor how your weight is changing” straight away.

At the appointment, the whole weight history matters

For new or persistent physical symptoms, start with a family doctor. Further investigations depend on your symptoms and examination, not a standard checklist. If your mood or eating behaviour is changing along with your weight, you can discuss this with a psychiatrist or an eating disorder specialist.

If you do see a psychiatrist, the initial psychiatric consultation page shows in advance how the meeting runs. The specialists’ areas of work are collected on the clinic’s doctors page.

From overeating to reduced activity

Weight gain is often linked to other changes. Compare which is closer to your experience.

• Overeating. There are episodes when you eat more than you wanted and find it hard to stop. See the page on overeating.
• Increased appetite. You want to eat more often and more strongly than before, as Vlada does in our example. Compare with the description of increased appetite.
• Reduced activity. Walks and familiar activities have gradually disappeared from your week. The page on reduced activity looks at what this is like.
• Depressed mood. Your weight is rising together with sadness and tiredness. See the page on depressed mood.

These changes often occur together, and one of them on its own decides nothing.

Show your doctor how your weight is changing

1. If weight gain comes with breathlessness or chest pain, you need urgent medical help: call 103 or 112 in Ukraine.
2. If your weight has risen quickly together with swelling, marked weakness or significant hormonal or metabolic symptoms, an examination is especially important.
3. If your weight is rising quickly, keeps rising for no clear reason or comes with other marked changes in how you feel, see a doctor.
4. If there are episodes of uncontrolled overeating, strong guilt after eating, strict restriction, vomiting or other compensatory behaviour, see a specialist experienced in eating disorders.
5. If weight changes happen against a background of persistent low mood, anxiety or apathy, an assessment by a mental health professional is useful.