Why am I putting on weight? Age, hormones, medicines, stress and sleep

Eating the same is rarely quite the same

Before looking at hormones, look at the small drifts. A plate that is a little fuller. A bigger mug of milky coffee. A car journey that has replaced a walk. A desk job instead of a job on your feet. None of these feels like a change, yet together they add up over months. A simple food and activity diary for 7 days often shows a drift you had not noticed.

Age and muscle

From around your 30s and 40s, most people slowly lose muscle unless they use it. Muscle burns more energy at rest than fat, so a body with less muscle needs a little less food. Many people also move less as work and family life get busier. Strength exercises twice a week and enough protein at each meal help to slow this down. Our page on menopause and weight gain looks at the extra changes many women notice in midlife.

Hormones worth knowing about

• Thyroid. An underactive thyroid is common, and the NHS lists tiredness and weight gain among the symptoms of an underactive thyroid. Feeling cold, constipation and dry skin can come with it. A simple blood test with your GP checks it.
• Perimenopause and menopause. The NHS notes that weight gain during perimenopause and menopause is common, often around the stomach and upper body.
• Other conditions. Polycystic ovary syndrome and a few rarer conditions can also affect weight. Your GP is the right person to rule them in or out.

Medicines

Some medicines can increase appetite or weight as a side effect. The leaflet in the box usually says so. If you have gained weight since starting a new treatment, never stop it on your own. Talk to your GP or pharmacist, who may be able to adjust the dose, change the time of day or suggest an alternative.

Stress and mental load

A week of deadlines, a parent to look after, children to ferry around and a never-ending to-do list. Under that kind of pressure, many people eat faster, snack more in the evening and drop the walk because there is no time left. Comfort food is a normal response, not a weakness. Recognising the pattern is the first step, and our article on stress, busy weeks and your weight has practical ideas for lightening the load.

Tiredness and sleep

A short night tends to make you hungrier the next day and more drawn to sugary snacks. It also leaves less energy for moving. Shift work and a baby who wakes at night make this harder still. Tiredness also has its own causes, from low iron to low mood, so lasting exhaustion that rest does not fix is worth mentioning to your GP rather than pushing through with extra coffee and biscuits. If your nights are often broken, our page on sleep and appetite explains what tends to help.

Finding your own cause

Most people have 2 or 3 causes at once. To find yours, ask yourself 4 questions.

• What changed in my life in the last 12 months?
• Do I sleep less, or less well, than before?
• Have I started a new medicine?
• Do I feel tired, cold or low in a way that is new for me?

If the answer to the last 2 is yes, book an appointment with your GP before changing anything else. For the rest, small steady changes work better than a strict diet. A Saturday walk on the Westwood at Beverley, a regular bedtime and a proper breakfast are a good place to start.

A morning routine in Willerby

Willerby Nutrition says its mission is to help 10,000 people in its local community to be healthier and happier. Members have breakfast at the club each morning, and Phillipa and Pete Fox and the coaches follow them every day. If you want to understand your own starting point, the free assessment measures muscle, fat and water.

This article is general information and does not replace advice from your GP or another health professional.