Life is good when you are healthy and active, but if your digestive system is disturbed, then your normal life goes off track. Gastrointestinal and digestive disorders can influence the way you eat, how your body absorbs and digests food – and as a result, you either gain or lose weight. Doctors say that most digestive problems cause weight loss because they cause food in the gut to be poorly absorbed. Other problems that can result in weight gain, too. However, if you’re gaining weight are aren’t sure why, digestive issues should come under suspicion.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and weight gain
This disease is the main reason for annoying burning sensations and heartburn, which happens when stomach acid rises all the way up to your esophagus.
- People suffering from this problem mostly eat comfort food, because it helps reduce the pain.
- After eating comfort food, saliva produced from chewing helps neutralize the acid and that person will feel comfortable for a while.
- But the downside to this is that the symptoms (bloating and nausea, etc.) tend to return with more intensity.
- However, people who try to avoid pain eat more and more of this comfort food and end up eating too much of it, which leads to obesity.
Ulcers lead to obesity
Ulcers are small lines in the stomach or small intestine caused by the overproduction of acid. Eating food can reduce the pain of ulcers, because the food neutralizes the acid for some time. The excess calories you take in when you eat to get a little comfort results in weight gain.
Constipation and obesity
You can feel like you’ve gained weight when you are constipated. But doctors say that it is not permanent, and you return to your original weight when the constipation is over. You can try to drink a lot of water and take in more carbs to avoid this situation.
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is known to decrease a person’s weight. However, if that person uses steroids to treat this disease, then opposite can also happen. The reason is that steroids inhibit your desire to eat carbohydrates, because you feel bloated after drinking water. It is not a serious issue, because if you cease steroid treatment, you will eventually lose weight.
Food intolerance
This is a condition in which you feel like your stomach cannot digest specific foods. It is different from a food allergy because it directly affects the digestive system, while the allergy is an immune system response. The person suffering from food intolerance may feel bloated, gas, cramps and like they are gaining weight. You can try to give up eating foods that give you trouble, or you can take an antacid.
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