Lex Banach’s Sleep Apnea Diagnosis Explains 40‑lb Weight Gain

Lex Banach, a 29‑year‑old fitness enthusiast from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, gained 40 pounds in six months despite maintaining her usual diet and exercise routine. She reported brain fog, extreme fatigue, and difficulty controlling impulses.

After a sleep study, doctors diagnosed her with mild sleep apnea that had gone undetected for three years. Treatment with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine helped her lose 60 pounds over the following year. Banach had previously lost 20 pounds in 2020 and had stopped using birth‑control pills in 2022, but those factors did not explain the sudden weight gain.

Medical professionals noted that untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious health issues such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and they also identified accompanying anxiety and depression symptoms.