Gluten Free Myth: You Can’t Be Overweight & Be Diagnosed With Celiac Disease

Myth: You can’t be overweight and be diagnosed with celiac disease.

Truth: Yes you can.

I find this myth to be a particularly dangerous one.  It is a widespread myth that even many doctors will brush off your symptoms being related to celiac disease based solely on your BMI factor even if you present with other ‘classic’ symptoms of celiac disease.

The reason this myth is so widespread is the understanding that due to the intestinal damage occurred in celiac disease patients we are not able to absorb nutrients and vitamins and have gastrointestinal issues such as chronic diarrhea (leading to malnutrition).  Many newly diagnosed patients with celiac disease are underweight, however it is just simply not the case for everyone – especially if a patient does not have the “classical” gastrointestinal symptoms.  On top of the gatrointestional issues – with the malnutrition there is a big chance of having some degree of osteoporosis which could lead to an individual being underweight.

There are two reasons why this is backwards thinking:

1. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder & having 1 autoimmune disorder puts you at a great risk for developing or already having more then one autoimmune disorder.  One in particular that puts you at greater risk of developing is autoimmune thyroid disease.  One symptom of hypothyroidism is weight gain & there is a lot of research being done to study the connections between thyroid issues & the gluten free diet.

2. Your body is malnourished & you are overcompensating by eating more with out realizing it.  If your body is craving the nutrients and vitamins you are not retaining due to gastrointestinal damage your body will trigger the hunger response to eat more.  You know how you hear often that whey your body is starving from calories your body will hold onto fat until your last breath?  Same is true for a body that is malnourished.  Your body becomes very good at holding on to the fat deposits.

If you think you or someone you know might have celiac disease don’t let the reason you/they might be overweight be the factor that stops you or stops your doctor from getting you all the proper tests.  It could be robbing you of a fit & healthy body & mind!

disclaimer: i am not a medial professional & this info comes from years of research by myself on the topics. Please discuss with your own physician if you have any questions or concerns about your own health.