Does my diet or weight place me at risk for gallstones?

Does my diet or weight place me at risk for gallstones?

People who are overweight or planning to lose weight –either through a planned diet program or a surgery—are actually at an increased risk of developing gallstones. The risk is higher for several reasons.

• People who are overweight may have diets that are high in cholesterol. Your bile has cholesterol in it already, but if your diet has excessive amounts of cholesterol, there is a higher chance it will collect in your bile and create a cholesterol gallstone.
• Rapid weight loss is also a concern. The gallbladder is a part of the digestive process. It holds bile to the side like a storage tank. Then the gallbladder releases the bile through the ducts and into the intestine to help break down food. If you go on a diet plan that significantly reduces your calorie intake or you have a weight loss surgery, your liver secretes extra cholesterol into the bile. The gallbladder can sometimes be ‘lazy’ and not able to contract vigorously, which also leads to gallstone formation. Patients who are undergoing a gastric bypass or other surgical procedure that will lead to rapid weight loss are at risk of gallstone formation. For this reason, surgeons may remove the gallbladder prophylactically (a preventive measure) at the time of the weight loss surgery.

If you are considering a weight loss program or surgery, it is important to discuss your risks with a doctor. This could be especially important if you have had stones in the past. It is common for gallstones to happen more than once.