8 Reasons Anxiety Can Cause Weight Loss & How to Cope

Can Anxiety Cause Weight Loss?

Anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or specific phobias, involve symptoms that are persistent and pervasive, impacting overall health. People with anxiety may skip meals due to nausea or a lack of appetite, experience restless sleep leading to fatigue, and shift their exercise routines – all contributing to weight loss. Also, the fight-or-flight response triggered by anxiety can increase metabolism, and excessive nervous energy can burn more calories than usual, leading to unintended weight loss.

Here are eight reasons anxiety can cause weight loss:

1. Nervous movement: Some people manage anxiety through movement – fidgeting, pacing, wringing their hands, bouncing their legs. While it helps manage anxiety, these constant movements burn extra calories, contributing to weight loss.
2. Appetite loss: Anxiety can disrupt your hunger cues. You might not realize you’re hungry or feel full faster. Think about times you skipped a meal before a stressful event – it reflects this disconnect.
3. Gastrointestinal issues: Most of your serotonin, a key mood regulator, resides in your gut. Anxiety disrupts serotonin, leading to gut issues like nausea, diarrhea, or constipation, impacting appetite and causing weight loss. In severe cases, anxiety may cause someone to develop IBS or other serious gastrointestinal issues.
4. Increased metabolism: Chronic anxiety keeps your body in “fight-or-flight” mode, causing your metabolism to speed up to meet heightened demands. This increased metabolism requires fewer calories to maintain weight, potentially leading to weight loss.¹
5. Medication side effects: Some anti-anxiety medications can have weight loss as a side effect. Discuss this with your doctor if you’re considering medication.²
6. Increased nausea: High anxiety can cause nausea or even vomiting. This, combined with reduced appetite and a desire to avoid feeling sick, can lead to decreased food intake and weight loss.
7. Lifestyle changes: To avoid anxiety triggers, you might withdraw from social events, reducing opportunities to eat out or go for drinks. This decrease in social eating can contribute to unintentional weight loss.
8. Overcompensation with healthy habits: In an attempt to manage anxiety, some people might become overly focused on healthy habits. This can manifest as restrictive eating patterns, excessive exercise, or an obsession with achieving unrealistic fitness goals, which can contribute to weight loss.

How to Manage Anxiety & Weight Loss

There are several ways to manage anxiety and weight loss. Some are action-oriented, like taking charge of your diet and exercise, while others are more mental, such as monitoring your caffeine intake or remembering to pause and take mindful breaths.

Here are some tips for how to manage anxiety-induced weight loss:

Eat Small, Frequent Meals

Aim for three balanced meals and two to three healthy snacks throughout the day. This keeps your metabolism fueled and prevents blood sugar crashes that can worsen anxiety. You might need to set reminder alarms to eat regularly since it can be so easy to forget to eat when your appetite is decreased.

Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods & Digestive Supplements

Prioritize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. These foods provide essential nutrients your body needs to function properly and manage stress. Some foods can actually help decrease anxiety more than others, so try playing around in the kitchen with recipes.³ Bolster the efficacy of these nutrients by taking probiotics or digestive enzymes if gastrointestinal issues are a concern.

Exercise Moderately

Exercise decreases anxiety because it releases neurotransmitters that help your body naturally decrease stress and build resilience.⁴ Exercise can also increase your appetite, making it easier to eat more regularly. It is important to ensure that your exercise routines are balanced and not contributing to additional calorie loss.

Yoga, in particular, is an excellent form of exercise because it can be tailored to your desired intensity level. Moreover, yoga helps alleviate anxiety by shifting your focus from anxious thoughts to a calm, present state.⁵

Practice Relaxation Exercises Throughout the Day

Relaxation exercises for anxiety, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness, can lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone linked to anxiety and appetite suppression. By incorporating these exercises into your daily routine, you can create a sense of calm and stability, making it easier to maintain a regular eating schedule and prevent anxiety-induced weight loss. Additionally, these practices promote a mind-body connection, helping you become more attuned to your body’s hunger signals and overall needs.⁶

More Water, Less Caffeine & Alcohol

Increasing your water intake while reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption can significantly help manage anxiety and prevent anxiety-induced weight loss. Water keeps your body hydrated and supports metabolic processes. On the other hand, excessive caffeine can heighten anxiety because it activates the body’s fight or flight system and reduces your appetite.⁷ Similarly, alcohol can exacerbate anxiety symptoms, disrupting your body’s natural rhythms and appetite regulation.

Speak to a Doctor & Dietician

Sometimes, anxiety and weight loss are caused by an underlying medical condition.  For instance, decreased thyroid output can result in weight loss and anxiety.⁸ If you are experiencing extreme weight loss, you should speak with your doctor to explore the cause. This may involve blood tests, thyroid function tests, or other investigations.

You may also want to work with a dietitian to develop a meal plan that meets your nutritional needs and addresses any anxiety-related dietary concerns. They will develop a personalized meal plan that addresses your nutritional needs and considers your anxiety triggers. This might involve smaller, more frequent meals to stabilize blood sugar and prevent skipping meals due to anxiety.

Improve Sleep Hygiene

Stress and anxiety can change your sleep and provoke insomnia, which in turn increases anxiety. Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Develop a relaxing bedtime routine and practice good sleep hygiene to combat anxiety-induced sleep disruption. Good sleep hygiene practices include installing blackout shades, keeping the room cool, leaving your phone outside your bedroom, and having a consistent bedtime routine.⁹

Treat the Anxiety

Addressing the root cause of anxiety is crucial for preventing anxiety-induced weight loss.  When anxiety is managed through therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes, the physical anxiety symptoms that are suppressing your appetite can lessen. This allows you to return to your regular eating patterns and helps prevent further weight loss.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety is particularly effective, as it helps identify and change negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety. Anti-anxiety medications can also manage symptoms, providing relief and improving your overall well-being.

How to Be Safe With Anxiety & Weight Loss

Given Western society’s focus on thinness as the ideal, weight loss may sound positive. However, any weight loss should result from healthy levels of exercise and diet changes rather than from nausea, low appetite, or constant fidgeting. Pay attention if you notice that you’re losing weight despite no obvious or intentional changes. Too much weight loss for your body could result in long-lasting health changes.

When to Seek Professional Support

If you’re experiencing anxiety to a degree where your weight can no longer be maintained, listen to your body and reach out for help. Most therapists will also want you to see your doctor to rule out any physical causes of anxiety and weight loss.

A local therapist directory is a great way to find a therapist who specializes in anxiety and takes your insurance. If you prefer to see a therapist remotely, there are many online therapy services that can connect you with a qualified therapist. Online-Therapy.com is a therapy service specializing in CBT, which is particularly effective at combatting anxiety-induced weight loss. If you want to explore medication, online psychiatry services such as Talkiatry provide comprehensive care for anxiety.