Does Anxiety Cause Weight Loss?

Individuals who suffer from anxiety may notice a myriad of symptoms, including weight loss. Depending on the individual's chemical makeup and specific reactions to anxiety, she may lose weight slowly or very quickly. In many cases, anxiety medication helps remedy these conditions, though such medication may also have an opposite and sometimes undesirable effect.

Anxiety Causes Lack of Appetite

• Under general conditions, individuals who suffer from anxiety may also experience a marked decrease in appetite. According to Anxiety Matters, an online community for individuals with anxiety, many individuals with the disorder simply have no desire to eat. As they maintain their normal level of activity, the resulting calorie deficit eats away at the body's stored energy. Because the body stores energy as fat, the fat quickly depletes and the individual loses weight. In many cases, individuals who suffer from anxiety also exhibit an increased activity level and corresponding boost in metabolism, both of which accelerate the weight loss process; some of these individuals may experience twitching, trembling, muscle spasms, an inability to relax and a number of other symptoms, all of which burn energy and contribute to weight loss.

Anxiety Medications Can Cause Weight Loss

• Even if individuals with anxiety do not lose weight as a direct result of the condition, they may begin losing weight after seeking anxiety medication. Like antidepressants, anxiety drugs work by adjusting the body's ability to reabsorb naturally occurring serotonin. The chemical adjustment of this neurotransmitter can have a number of effects, including weight loss and increased metabolism. Certain individuals, especially those with heart-related conditions, may receive beta blockers from their physicians instead of the typical serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). Although beta blockers work through considerably different channels than SRIs, their metabolic effect is often very similar. In addition, both classes of pharmaceuticals modify hormones that regulate energy levels, and may leave the individual with additional energy to burn; this excess energy quickly burns the body's fat cells, supplementing the weight loss process.

Anxiety Can Also Cause Weight Gain

• Although many individuals who suffer from anxiety experience unwanted or unexpected weight loss, some individuals may experience the opposite effect. According to the Anxiety Centre, each individual experiences anxiety in his own unique way. While some individuals may experience a marked lack of appetite and increased energy levels, others may choose to deal with the condition by overeating and adopting a more sedentary lifestyle. Some individuals also develop a craving for sugar and sweets, resulting in a massive intake of calories that the body quickly converts to fat. In addition, the varying chemistry between individuals means that pharmaceutical treatment varies from patient to patient, and some drugs cause those who take them to experience a slower metabolism and resulting weight loss.