5. Hypothyroidism
The thyroid produces hormones that deal with metabolism. This means that when you have an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism, your thyroid is not producing enough hormones. This causes your metabolism to slow down, resulting in you gaining weight.
Anyone can be diagnosed with hypothyroidism at any age but this is most common in older women. Other symptoms include constipation, fatigue, feeling cold, having dry or brittle skin, hair, and nails, or stiff joints.
6. Steroid Treatment
If your doctor has recently prescribed corticosteroids for diseases like asthma and arthritis, it’s possible that your steroid treatment is behind the sudden weight gain.
Corticosteroids can increase your appetite. And eating more will suddenly put you at a surplus of calories, which leads to weight gain. Make sure to seek out the guidance of your doctor to help maintain your weight through your treatment plan.
7. Stress
The hormone attributed to stress is cortisol and this hormone triggers the release or the production of insulin. Insulin then works to increase your appetite, which explains why stress eating is a common response to high cortisol levels. This often makes you eat more calories than you need, which causes weight gain and it could be sudden if you’re stressed and snacking for a prolonged period of time.
8. Insomnia
Research has shown that insomnia is linked to sudden weight gain. This is because sleep-deprived people often eat more carbohydrates over the day as a source of energy due to the lack of rest. Over a period of time, this could make for pretty drastic weight gain if left unchecked and untreated.
9. Quitting Smoking
Nicotine, present in cigarettes, is an appetite suppressant. Hence, quitting can cause a drastic increase in appetite which leads to weight gain. Additionally, withdrawal symptoms include stress which also leads to overeating.

Key Takeaways
Now that we’ve run through a number of possible causes of sudden weight gain, it’s important that we remind you to get professional medical insight if this has happened to you or someone you know, especially if the weight gain occurs at a drastic scale or an alarming rate.
Learn Other Healthy Eating Tips here.
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