Nearly 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, according to MedlinePlus.com. Obesity increases your risk for gallstones -- the small, pebble-like substances that form when bile fluid in your gallbladder hardens. However, extreme dieting or weight fluctuations can also increase your risk of gallstones. Avoid diets that overemphasize or drastically limit specific food groups like fats, protein and carbohydrates, and discuss your weight-loss goals with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Fluctuating Weight Loss
Rapidly losing weight, and then regaining it may increase your risk for gallstones. You are less likely to develop gallstones if you maintain weight loss and avoid fluctuations. Your risk for gallstones increases as you gain or lose higher amounts of weight.
Rapid Weight Loss
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse suggests that rapid weight loss can increase your risk for developing gallstones. Rapid weight loss can occur while fasting, when your body metabolizes fat for an extended period of time. This activity may cause your liver to secrete extra cholesterol into bile fluid in your gallbladder. Cholesterol deposits may collect in your gallbladder, prevent it from emptying properly and form gallstones.
Recommended Weight-Loss Rate
Lose weight safely by following a gradual and steady weight-loss plan to avoid an increased risk for gallstones. You can lose a pound of fat by burning 500 extra calories a day, consuming 500 fewer calories a day or balancing this number between diet and activity. You may have a higher risk of developing gallstones if you lose more than 3 lbs. per week.
Medication
Medications may help reduce your risk of gallstones if you must lose weight quickly due to medical conditions like severe obesity. Ursodiol is a medication used to dissolve existing gallstones but may reduce the risk of gallstones if taken during weight loss. Ursodiol is also known as ursodeoxycholic acid. Orlistat is a medication that may prevent gallstone formation during weight loss by reducing elements that contribute to gallstone production like bile acids.
Physical Activity
You may be more likely to develop gallstones if you lose weight from dieting alone. According to a 2005 peer review published in "American Family Physician," higher levels of physical activity are associated with a lower risk of gallstone formation. A 1998 study published in "Annals of Internal Medicine" suggests that 34 percent of symptomatic gallstone disease in men can be prevented with 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week.
Treatment
Gallstones can cause pain between your shoulder blades, under your right shoulder or in your right upper abdomen. The pain may increase rapidly for 30 minutes or longer. You may also have gallstones without symptoms, which do not necessarily require treatment. Your gallbladder is a nonessential organ and your doctor may recommend surgical removal of your gallbladder if you have frequent attacks.
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