Body Weight
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Topic pages summarize public health information in plain language. They may describe common causes and treatments in general terms; your own plan of care depends on your clinician’s exam, history, and tests. Use what you read here to prepare questions—not to start, stop, or change medications or to self-diagnose.
Do you know if your current weight is healthy? "Underweight", "normal", "overweight", and "obese" are all labels for ranges of weight. Obese and overweight mean that your weight is greater than it should be for your health. Underweight means that it is lower than it should be for your health. Your healthy body weight depends on your sex and height. For children, it also depends on your age.
A sudden, unexpected change in weight can be a sign of a medical problem. Causes for sudden weight loss can include:
- Thyroid problems
- Cancer
- Infectious diseases
- Digestive diseases
- Certain medicines
Sudden weight gain can be due to medicines, thyroid problems, heart failure, and kidney disease.
Good nutrition and exercise can help in losing weight. Eating extra calories within a well-balanced diet and treating any underlying medical problems can help to add weight.