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Why does weight loss cause gallstones?

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Fast weight loss can also prevent the gallbladder from emptying properly. Very low-calorie diets and weight-loss surgery may lead to fast weight loss and higher risk of gallstones. Your chances of developing gallstones may depend on the type of weight-loss treatment you choose. read more

As your body burns fat quickly, some of the cholesterol in the liver seeps into the bile, which can cause cholesterol gallstones. You can develop gallstones if you lose and gain weight repeatedly. Other risk factors include a diet high in fat and cholesterol, family history and a diagnosis of diabetes. People over the age of 60 are more likely to develop gallstones, as are women and those taking cholesterol-lowering medications. read more

One cause of gallstones or cholethiasis is the alteration in fat metabolism during periods of prolonged fasting or rapid weight loss. According to an article in the November 1993 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, 10 to 25 percent of people on a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) developed gallstones. read more

Many studies have looked at the threshold at which gallstones develop and, according to an overview in the journal Obesity, anyone losing over 3.3lb (1.5kg) a week is at risk. read more

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