Higher Body Mass Index and Lower Risk of Obesity in Celiac Disease Patients on a Gluten-free Diet

This article is an unnecessary obesity scare tactic. BMI is bunk, so this article has no merit. It doesn't mention that half of adults are overweight at diagnosis (because it would nullify this study).

This article is an unnecessary obesity scare tactic. BMI is bunk, so this article has no merit. It doesn't mention that half of adults are overweight at diagnosis (because it would nullify this study).

We actually covered that research as well: https://www.celiac.com/articles/22908/1/Nearly-Half-of-Patients-with-Celiac-Disease-are-Overweight-or-Obese-at-Diagnosis--/Page1.html

I wouldn't say this research is any sort of obesity scare tactic though. It just shows that we still don't entirely understand how celiac disease affects the body, particularly body weight.

I don't understand the body mass index. All I know is that my waist and stomach keep getting bigger and I can't seem to lose any weight.

How come it doesn't mention that gluten-free food is way higher in sugar and fats to make food more palatable?

This may speak, in part, to the higher fat and calorie content present in many of the gluten-free breads/baked goods.

I was diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity 6 months ago at age 64. No gluten since then, very few other grains, and barely any desserts, yet my weight stays unchanged at slightly overweight. Given the change in my eating habits, I'm astounded that I haven't lost weight. My experience parallels that of the research subjects.

I wonder what the metabolic explanation is for persistent weight gain despite being gluten-free.

I was relieved to read this article. I was diagnosed 2 years ago with celiac disease, and after adapting to a gluten-free lifestyle, my weight jumped a lot. I have tried every diet and cannot seem to lose weight, the belly fat has really increased and I work out daily. I was glad to hear there are others who are struggling with this as well. Thank you for printing the study!

Learning, Learning, Learning. Thanks for the

info. And yes, I'm one who was found to be

overweight from celiac disease after 20 years, but I have

definitely benefited from the gluten-free diet.

Thanks again!

I would have liked a little info on how the gluten-free diet, which adds more "bread, rice, & other starches" into a celiac's diet causes a weight gain especially when their previous diet has limited these foods. Also how the medication(s) used in the management of the disease affects the weight gain.

This article is an unnecessary obesity scare tactic. BMI is bunk, so this article has no merit. It doesn't mention that half of adults are overweight at diagnosis (because it would nullify this study).

Hi all, well perhaps my personal experience may help. I self-diagnosed gluten sensitivity about 2 years back. My weight at that time was 234. My weight today is 234... changes. Yep, after removing all wheat products my body size started to change; it was almost to 3x. After 6 months, my size overall dropped to a large. I lost no weight but I felt much better. I'm 61 now and am at a size that feels better. I will start to lose some pounds soon, diet changes, but body mass dropped like a rock when I started eliminating wheat. Maybe others have had similar results. Have a good one.

For those who haven't lost any weight, maybe you aren't eating enough food? It's important to fill your diet with healthy proteins and those grains that you are able to eat. For me, I eat a jumbo egg and veggie omelet with one corn tortilla, sprinkling of cheese, and salsa in the morning. Lunch is usually chicken with a green salad with some sort of nut and olives and a healthy dressing. Dinner is about the same: a healthy protein, lots of veggies, and a carb that I can handle. I've also done the 4-6 small meals a day when I have time. Gluten-free doesn't necessarily mean diet food. You still have to eat wisely and think portion-control. Which is why the eating small meals every 3 hours really is best.

Hi all, well perhaps my personal experience may help. I self-diagnosed gluten sensitivity about 2 years back. My weight at that time was 234. My weight today is 234... changes. Yep, after removing all wheat products my body size started to change; it was almost to 3x. After 6 months, my size overall dropped to a large. I lost no weight but I felt much better. I'm 61 now and am at a size that feels better. I will start to lose some pounds soon, diet changes, but body mass dropped like a rock when I started eliminating wheat. Maybe others have had similar results. Have a good one.

So far, I've only been gluten-free (self-diagnosed celiac disease) for two months, and I have had similar results. Over the first month I decreased one dress size in volume though my weight stayed the same. As gluten-free bread, etc. is in general higher calorie, if the same amount is consumed after going gluten-free then weight is bound to rise. I'm 64 and feel so much better since going gluten-free. I would like to lose about 5 kilos eventually but will wait until I have been 6 months gluten-free to evaluate the changes. I find that I eat less bread, biscuits, etc. than before as the gluten-free ones are more filling and unless home-made, not very nice.