Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Can You Be Overwieght And Have Celiac Disease?

hannahsue01

By hannahsue01
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

hannahsue01 Enthusiast
hannahsue01
Posted

Everyone I know including my doctor thinks that you can't be overwieght and have this disease. They don't understand how when your body is being starved of nutriants how you can be overwieght. From what I have seen on other posts on here that many celiacs are overwieght. Frankly I don't know either and don't know how to explain it to them. Does anyone know the explanation to this?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

I don't know any other way to explain it, but if you google for the NIH consensus paper on celiac disease, you'll find that even they note that you don't have to be under- or normal- weight to have celiac.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Hi,

According to Dr. Peter Green, in his book "Celiac Disease--A Hidden Epidemic"--

"In a study done by the Mayo Clinic in 2003, approximmately 20 percent of patients diagnosed with Celiac Disease were overweight; many were obese, effectively eliminating the definition of Celiac Disease as a "wasting disease"."

In my own case, I was always about 20 pounds overweight until just before I was diagnosed--I was very ill and lost 15 lbs pretty quickly.

Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted

I've lost 110 pounds since my dx of Celiac and going gluten-free. I was skinny minny growing up, but in my early 20's I started putting on weight despite the fact that I was always on a diet and ate very little. It was explained to me this way, in some people the body is so malnourished and is starving and goes into survival mode, when it does this it holds onto the only thing it can which is the fat cells. I was classified as morbidly obese and I was so frustrated because I didn't eat that much at all. Now that I'm gluten-free, I eat whatever I want as long as it's gluten-free and treats in moderation, but the proof is in the weight loss. I went from a size 3x to a size 10.

jennyj Collaborator
jennyj
Posted

I was(am some) overweight when I finally was dx. Since Sept. I have lost over 35 pounds. I stayed pretty stable from Jan.-July but started losing again, without trying.

jacklyn1981 Newbie
jacklyn1981
Posted

Ok I saw this thread and felt compelled to post a reply.

YES you can be overweight and be a celiac.

I was Diagnosed months ago and i have been overweight all my life and i mean overweight. When my doctor told me i had celiac i went home and did research and thought ...This cant be me! I've never had trouble gaining weight! In fact i convinced myself it was a miss diagnosis until i went back to the Dr. and questioned him about being overweight and that i did not fit the typical celiac symptom of weight loss or had trouble gaining weight... he told me that it didn't matter ...that they found out that i was a celiac by accident they thought i had IBS till they took a biopsy of my intestines and did blood work to discover i was a celiac.

His final word was : We found out you were a celiac before it got to its advanced stages...had i gone on eating like i always did i would have eventually suffered from severe weight loss. Some people are just in different stages...thankfully they caught mine early.

Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted
Ok I saw this thread and felt compelled to post a reply.

YES you can be overweight and be a celiac.

I was Diagnosed months ago and i have been overweight all my life and i mean overweight. When my doctor told me i had celiac i went home and did research and thought ...This cant be me! I've never had trouble gaining weight! In fact i convinced myself it was a miss diagnosis until i went back to the Dr. and questioned him about being overweight and that i did not fit the typical celiac symptom of weight loss or had trouble gaining weight... he told me that it didn't matter ...that they found out that i was a celiac by accident they thought i had IBS till they took a biopsy of my intestines and did blood work to discover i was a celiac.

His final word was : We found out you were a celiac before it got to its advanced stages...had i gone on eating like i always did i would have eventually suffered from severe weight loss. Some people are just in different stages...thankfully they caught mine early.

You can also be in advanced stages like I was, and still be overweight.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


rinne Apprentice
rinne
Posted

I was slim through my twenties but in my thirties gained about 35 pounds which melted away this winter when I finally got really sick. Now I am glad I had the weight to lose.

ianm Apprentice
ianm
Posted

I am another former heavyweight. Once I cut the gluten the weight came right off.

PJKR Newbie
PJKR
Posted

The lady that first mentioned Celiac to me(she had it) had always been 40 or so lbs overweight. She said "I'm one of the big ones...lucky me!" She might not have had the perfect weight but she had the best attiude! I remember saying "It CAN'T be wheat! Wheat is in EVERYTHING!!!" She nodded her head yes while laughing her head off. She was right! PJ

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to Sarah Grace's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      26

      Headaches / Migraines and Hypoglycaemia

      This article does not address migraines at all. Yes, red wine and sulfites are often mentioned in connection with migraine triggers. With me, any kind of alcoholic beverage in very modest amounts will reliably produce a migraine. Nitrous oxide generators, which are vaso dialators, also will give me migraines reliably. So, I think most of my migraines...
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Sarah Grace's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      26

      Headaches / Migraines and Hypoglycaemia

      Excessive dietary tyrosine can cause problems. Everything in moderation. Sulfites can also trigger migraines. Sulfites are found in fermented, pickled and aged foods, like cheese. Sulfites cause a high histamine release. High histamine levels are found in migraine. Following a low histamine diet like the low histamine Autoimmune Protocol diet,...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to Sarah Grace's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      26

      Headaches / Migraines and Hypoglycaemia

      Then we would need to cut out all meat and fish as they are richer sources of tyrosine than nuts and cheese. Something else about certain tyrosine rich foods must be the actual culprit.
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      KAN-101 Treatment for Coeliac Disease

      I agree that KAN-101 looks promising, and hope the fast track is approved. From our article below: "KAN-101 shows promise as an immune tolerance therapy aiming to retrain the immune system, potentially allowing safe gluten exposure in the future, but more clinical data is needed to confirm long-term effects."
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to miguel54b's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      1

      Body dysmorphia experience

      Thank you so much for having the courage to share this incredibly vivid and personal experience; it's a powerful reminder of how physical ailments can disrupt our fundamental sense of self. What you're describing sounds less like a purely psychological body dysmorphia and more like a distinct neurological event, likely triggered by the immense physical stress...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,156
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Shrub
    Newest Member
    Shrub
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Headaches / Migraines and Hypoglycaemia

      By trents · Posted

      This article does not address migraines at all.  Yes, red wine and sulfites are often mentioned in connection with migraine triggers. With me, any kind of alcoholic beverage in very modest amounts will reliably produce a migraine. Nitrous oxide generators, which are vaso dialators, also will give me migraines reliably. So, I think most of my migraines are tied to fluctuations vascular tension and blood flow to the brain. That's why the sumatriptan works so well. It is a vaso constrictor. 
    • knitty kitty
      Headaches / Migraines and Hypoglycaemia

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Excessive dietary tyrosine can cause problems.  Everything in moderation.   Sulfites can also trigger migraines. Sulfites are found in fermented, pickled and aged foods, like cheese.  Sulfites cause a high histamine release.  High histamine levels are found in migraine.  Following a low histamine diet like the low histamine Autoimmune Protocol diet, a Paleo diet, helps immensely.    Sulfites and other migraine trigger foods can cause changes in the gut microbiome.  These bad bacteria can increase the incidence of migraines, increasing histamine and inflammation leading to increased gut permeability (leaky gut), SIBO, and higher systemic inflammation.   A Ketogenic diet can reduce the incidence of migraine.  A Paleo diet like the AIP diet, that restricts carbohydrates (like from starchy vegetables) becomes a ketogenic diet.  This diet also changes the microbiome, eliminating the bad bacteria and SIBO that cause an increase in histamine, inflammation and migraine.  Fewer bad bacteria reduces inflammation, lowers migraine frequency, and improves leaky gut. Since I started following the low histamine ketogenic AIP paleo diet, I rarely get migraine.  Yes, I do eat carbs occasionally now, rice or potato, but still no migraines.  Feed your body right, feed your intestinal bacteria right, you'll feel better.  Good intestinal bacteria actually make your mental health better, too.  I had to decide to change my diet drastically in order to feel better all the time, not just to satisfy my taste buds.  I chose to eat so I would feel better all the time.  I do like dark chocolate (a migraine trigger), but now I can indulge occasionally without a migraine after.   Microbiota alterations are related to migraine food triggers and inflammatory markers in chronic migraine patients with medication overuse headache https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11546420/  
    • trents
      Headaches / Migraines and Hypoglycaemia

      By trents · Posted

      Then we would need to cut out all meat and fish as they are richer sources of tyrosine than nuts and cheese. Something else about certain tyrosine rich foods must be the actual culprit. 
    • Scott Adams
      KAN-101 Treatment for Coeliac Disease

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I agree that KAN-101 looks promising, and hope the fast track is approved. From our article below: "KAN-101 shows promise as an immune tolerance therapy aiming to retrain the immune system, potentially allowing safe gluten exposure in the future, but more clinical data is needed to confirm long-term effects."  
    • Scott Adams
      Body dysmorphia experience

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Thank you so much for having the courage to share this incredibly vivid and personal experience; it's a powerful reminder of how physical ailments can disrupt our fundamental sense of self. What you're describing sounds less like a purely psychological body dysmorphia and more like a distinct neurological event, likely triggered by the immense physical stress and inflammation that uncontrolled celiac disease can inflict on the entire body, including the nervous system. It makes complete sense that the specific sensory input—the pressure points of your elbows on your knees—created a temporary, distorted body map in your brain, and the fact that it ceased once you adopted a gluten-free diet is a crucial detail. Your intuition to document this is absolutely right; it's not "crazy" but rather a significant anecdotal data point that underscores the mysterious and far-reaching ways gluten can affect individuals. Your theory about sensory triggers from the feet for others is also a thoughtful insight, and sharing this story could indeed be validating for others who have had similar, unexplainable sensory disturbances, helping them feel less alone in their journey.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.