Obesity also is associated with symptoms that may arise in the stomach, such as upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, retching, and gastritis.
Excess belly fat can be dangerous because it surrounds internal organs and puts you at greater risk for developing several kinds of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and liver problems.
After controlling for dietary, physical activity, diabetes, laxative use, and demographic factors, the team found that respondents who were obese or severely obese were 60 percent more likely to have experienced chronic diarrhea compared to those with normal bowel habits or constipation.
Obesity increases your risk of health problems and diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It also increases the risk of many gastrointestinal conditions like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and gallstones.
Some examples of the links between weight and IBS symptoms include: Gastroesophageal reflux disease – Obesity is associated with a relaxed lower sphincter at the top of your stomach, which could allow stomach acid up into the oesophagus. This might be potentially due to increased abdominal pressure.
Obesity and Erosive Gastritis
They investigated the prevalence of erosive gastritis and gastric or duodenal ulcer in 27,000 subjects by endoscopy and found a significantly increased prevalence in overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30) and obese (BMI ≥30) subjects after adjusting for other clinical factors.
Healthful weight loss diets usually include lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These are all high in fiber. Including more fiber in the diet can increase stool weight and encourage more regular bowel movements. Because of this, a person following a weight loss diet may have bowel movements more often.
Excess body weight has been linked to various abdominal ailments. These may include abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea or constipation. Scientific studies are also increasingly reporting a correlation between obesity and gastritis as well as gastric ulcers.
If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to carry excess weight — including belly fat. Also, your muscle mass might diminish slightly with age, while fat increases.
Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body.
Abdominal swelling, or distention, is more often caused by overeating than by a serious illness. This problem also can be caused by: Air swallowing (a nervous habit) Buildup of fluid in the abdomen (this can be a sign of a serious medical problem)
The most common cause of stomach pain and bloating is excess intestinal gas. If you get a bloated stomach after eating, it may be a digestive issue. It might be as simple as eating too much too fast, or you could have a food intolerance or other condition that causes gas and digestive contents to build up.
If you're having bowel movements more often, chances are you've made some change in your lifestyle. For example, you may be eating more whole grains, which increases fiber intake. More-frequent bowel movements also could be related to a mild illness that will take care of itself.
You can ease your IBS symptoms by eating a balanced diet that is low in FODMAPs and saturated fat. These include lean meats, eggs, fatty fish, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and fruits that are lower in sugar. Fermented foods may also be good for the gut flora in you have IBS.
Gastritis is inflammation (irritation) of the stomach lining. This may be caused by many factors including infection, alcohol, particular medications and some allergic and immune conditions. Gastritis can be either acute (with severe attacks lasting a day or two) or chronic (with long-term appetite loss or nausea).
Gastritis is a condition that inflames the stomach lining (the mucosa), causing belly pain, indigestion (dyspepsia), bloating and nausea. It can lead to other problems. Gastritis can come on suddenly (acute) or gradually (chronic). Medications and dietary changes can reduce stomach acid and ease gastritis symptoms.
Physical activity. Increasing your physical activity is a great way to improve IBS symptoms and, at the same time, lose weight. This is because exercise aids in burning more calories than you consume. Physical exercise can also help facilitate intestinal gas clearance¹.
IBS and Weight Loss
Weight loss is not a symptom of IBS. 1 However, if you're restricting what you eat to avoid symptom flareups, you can lose weight. Limiting your food intake can deprive your body of essential vitamins and minerals, so it's important to maintain a healthy diet even if you have IBS.