Can stress make you lose weight even if you eat?

Whether it causes weight loss or weight gain can vary from person to person — and even situation to situation. In some cases, stress may lead to missed meals and poor food choices. For others, stress may cause them to completely lose the desire to eat. Oftentimes, this change is only temporary.

Can stress and anxiety make you lose weight?

On average, it’s not uncommon to lose 10 to 15 percent of your overall body weight due to anxiety and the chronic stress it causes. Always talk with your doctor if you’ve lost a lot of weight in a hurry.

How much weight loss is abnormal?

But many doctors agree that a medical evaluation is called for if you lose more than 5 percent of your weight in six months to a year, especially if you’re an older adult. For example, a 5 percent weight loss in someone who is 160 pounds (72 kilograms) is 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms).

Why am I losing so much weight so quickly?

Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, develops when your thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone. These hormones control many functions in the body, including metabolism. If your thyroid is overactive, you’ll quickly burn calories even if you have a good appetite. The result can be unintentional weight loss.

Does stress make you lose weight or gain it?

Someone going through a tough time may lose their appetite and skip meals. Chronic stress may lead to an increase in appetite—and an increase in cravings for unhealthy food. Slowly, over the course of several months or even a year, the weight gain may accumulate. Weight change may also result due to hormonal changes triggered by stress.

Can stress eating make you gain weight?

Cortisol, the “stress hormone,” is secreted, which causes an increase in appetite. And of course, we may reach for high-calorie comfort foods in times of stress as well. This combination is a perfect breeding ground for weight gain. An unfortunate side effect from some antidepressants is weight gain.

What does stress have to do with losing weight?

Stressful situations might also lead to weight loss, especially if you’re grieving or going through a traumatic event. If you develop anxiety about your level of stress or become depressed, it may diminish your desire to eat or make food seem unappealing.

Can be worried or stress make you lose weight?

One way anxiety and stress are known to cause weight loss is by causing one to be less interested in food (7). Weight loss requires you to take in fewer calories than your body needs. If you do so, you create a calorie deficit, which then causes weight loss.