when you are in a weightloss journey, the shedding of every inch and pound should be celebrated as it involves a lot of effort. But if you are losing weight unintentionally and without any effort, in addition to experiencing a number of worrying symptoms, you should investigate the reasons behind it, as it could indicate a disease that may be ruining your physical or mental health. According to mayoclinic, losing more than 5% of your weight in 6-12 months without any exercise or special diet should be cause for concern and may indicate a problem. Experts say unintentional weight loss is something that happens when you lose weight without changing your diet or exercise routine and could indicate stress or a serious illness. (Also read: Easy to Follow Weight Loss Tips for Men and Women)
Unexplained Weight Loss: Why Is It Troublesome?
“While typical weight loss is due to a change in lifestyle habits, decreased caloric intake, or increased physical activity, unexplained weight loss, or losing weight without trying, can be cause for concern. It could indicate an underlying disease or medical problem. That’s why one should take unexplained weight loss seriously,” says Deepti Khatuja, Director, Clinical Nutritionist, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon.
“Many times, a patient is admitted to the hospital with a symptom of weight loss, which seems to be a great concern to the patient or accompanying family members. Unintentional weight loss is when you lose weight without changing your diet or exercise routine. It can be a sign of stress or a serious illness Weight loss can occur in patients with normal or decreased appetite.
When to see a doctor
A good rule of thumb is to see your doctor if you’ve lost a significant amount, more than 5 percent of your weight, within 6 to 12 months. There are numerous medical conditions that cause sudden and unexplained weight loss,” says Dr. Hyacinth Peninnah Paljor, Senior Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad.
Common Reasons for Unexpected Weight Loss
Some of the common reasons for unintentional weight loss are:
1. Diabetes: One of the main causes of unwanted weight loss is type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes), although type 2 can also occur. If you have type 1 diabetes, your immune system attacks the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Without insulin, your body cannot use glucose for energy. This results in a high blood glucose level. Our kidneys remove unused glucose through urine. As sugar leaves your body, so do calories, says Deepti Khatuja.
“Associated symptoms are frequent urination, dehydration, fatigue, blurred vision, excessive thirst, excessive hunger. Treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus includes insulin, blood sugar control, diet, and exercise,” says Dr. Paljor.
2. Cancer: Cancer is the disease that causes abnormal cells to divide and spread rapidly. According to the American Cancer Society, one of the first signs may be an unexplained weight loss of 10 pounds or more.
“This is common with cancers of the pancreas, lung, stomach, and esophagus. Cancer increases inflammation. This promotes muscle wasting and disrupts hormones that regulate appetite. A growing tumor can also increase your resting energy expenditure ( REE), or the amount of energy your body burns at rest. Cancer cachexia is a wasting syndrome that is linked to many types of cancer. It is most common in gastric and pancreatic cancers, as well as some lung cancers, head and neck and colorectal in its later stages,” says Khatuja.
“First symptoms may be fever, fatigue, bleeding from anywhere, mole changes, breast lumps, hoarseness, or there may be no symptoms other than weight loss. Treatment depends on the type of cancer. May include surgery , radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy,” says Dr. Paljor.
3. Tuberculosis: Another cause of unexplained weight loss is tuberculosis (TB), a contagious disease that usually affects the lungs, Khatuja says.
“It is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium. Weight loss and decreased appetite are some of the common symptoms of TB. Although TB can be in different organs of the body, such as abdominal TB, etc., and loss of unexpected weight loss is quite common,” adds the Fortis expert.
Tuberculosis is life-threatening and requires timely intervention. One is diagnosed with TB while presenting symptoms such as constant coughing, chest pain and even involuntary weight loss. So don’t forget to take charge of your health, says Dr Aniket Mule, Consultant Internal Medicine, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road.
4. Hyperthyroidism: “Since the thyroid oversees your metabolism, it’s understandable that thyroid problems can lead to weight gain. While having a fast metabolism can help you lose weight, having one that is too fast can be harmful. Rapid weight loss and sometimes additional complications, such as an elevated heart rate, increased anxiety, nervousness, tremors, or insomnia, are symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism),” says Khatuja.
“When the thyroid gland begins to release excess of its hormones, which may be due to its hyperfunctioning state or damage to the thyroid gland due to infections or antibodies. It is diagnosed by a simple thyroid function test,” says Dr. Johann Varghese – MBBS, DNB (Medicine), DM (Endocrinology) Honorary Consultant (Endocrinologist) at the Holy Family Hospital.
5. Intestinal diseases: Weight loss is caused by conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, lactose intolerance, and intestinal damage, which can cause malabsorption. Malabsorption occurs when something prevents the intestine from absorbing essential nutrients. In most cases, like celiac disease, intestinal disease can be easily treated with a gluten-free diet and healthy weight gain can be promoted, Khatuja says.
“IBD also disrupts ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and leptin, the satiety hormone. This results in decreased appetite and weight loss. Additional symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, bloody stools and fatigue. Treatment consists of nutritional support, medications, and, in some cases, surgery,” says Dr. Paljor.
6. Depression: “Depression is defined as feeling sad, lost, or empty for at least two weeks. These emotions interfere with daily activities, such as going to work or school. Depression affects the same part of the brain that controls appetite, so may lead to loss of appetite and weight loss Other symptoms include constant sadness, loss of interest in hobbies, low energy, poor concentration, too little or too much sleep, thoughts of death or suicide, and irritability Behavioral therapy, psychotherapy and antidepressants to treat depression,” says Dr. Paljor.
7. Eating disorders: “Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of weight. These patients severely restrict the foods they eat or control calories by inducing vomiting or abusing laxatives, diuretics, and enemas. Symptoms and signs include extremely thin individuals, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness and fainting, absence of menstruation, constipation, cold intolerance, dry or yellowish skin, fine hair that breaks, and low blood pressure,” says Dr. Paljor.
“Psychiatric conditions such as anorexia nervosa could also be interpreted as weight loss in which the person perceives themselves as fat and restricts food intake when they are actually thin,” says Dr. Varghese.
8. Rheumatoid Arthritis: “Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the joints of the body. In addition, one can also lose weight because there is inflammation in the body and more calories and fat are burned each day. It is best to control your weight when you have been diagnosed with Seek expert advice on what to eat and cut it out of your diet,” says Dr. Mule.
9. Dementia: Having dementia can also lead to ongoing weight loss. Since dementia affects memory, one may forget if they ate food and this can induce weight loss. For this reason, it is essential that family members take maximum care of the person diagnosed with dementia, says Dr. Mule.
10. HIV infection and malignancy: Any unexplained weight loss after ruling out the above causes should have a comprehensive evaluation to rule out HIV infection (diagnosed by blood test) and occult malignancy. It may require blood tests and imaging, says Dr. Varghese.
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