Causes of weight loss

Weight Loss

If you unintentionally lose several pounds you should know that this unexplainable weight loss can be a result of several factors. Weight loss can occur if you eat foods with low caloric value and people frequently do this in order to reduce weight.

Your general health condition and age have an influence on your appetite and decreased appetite leads to weight loss. Another reason for unintentional weight loss could be some underlying condition, which includes weight loss in its symptoms. If you mysteriously drop 10 pounds or more and this is not just temporary, you should do a medical checkup.

Sudden weight loss can be caused by alterations in diet such as omitting meals or eating less due to a busy schedule. Illnesses like infections affect appetite, therefore always cause some loss in body weight. If you exercise intensively, you may lose weight if you don’t substitute lost calories with a proper diet.

People with all types of cancer almost always lose many pounds especially if the cancer is terminal. Treatment for cancer, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, commonly causes nausea and vomiting, which inevitably leads to weight loss.

Any gastrointestinal disease could be another underlying condition that leads to an unexplainable reduction in weight. Such diseases typically have symptoms such as decreased appetite or malabsorption. Malabsorption refers to inhibited absorption of nutrients.

Gastrointestinal diseases that cause weight loss could be, for example, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease), celiac disease or peptic ulcer disease.

Endocrine disorders can cause loss of weight since they affect the endocrine system. People who suffer from diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, hypercalcemia, overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) can experience weight loss due to an impaired endocrine system.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, parasites and fungal diseases are some of the infections that result in weight loss as well.

Elderly people often unexpectedly lose weight due to altered appetite, and changes in smell and taste.

Unintentional or involuntary weight loss is a common phenomenon among older adults, with an annual incidence of approximately 13%. Problematic weight loss in the older adult is defined by the United States Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (Title IV: subtitle C: Nursing Home Reform) as a loss of 5% of body weight in one month or 10% over a period of six months or longer.

The clinical consequences of involuntary weight loss include functional decline, infections, decubitus ulcers, exacerbation of cognitive and mood disorders, and increased use of acute and long-term care facilities. Mechanisms for involuntary weight loss can include decreased intake, accelerated metabolism and increased caloric loss in urine or stool.
Inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor-? (TNF-?), interleukin-1 ? and interleukin-6 have been implicated in cachexia and weight loss.
Tumour necrosis factor-? levels are elevated in several human disease states associated with cachexia and weight loss, including malignancy, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The risk factors for weight loss in the older adult can be classified into the following three main categories: physiologic factors (e.g., chronic and acute diseases), psychological factors (e.g., depression, bereavement) and social factors (e.g., isolation, social problems).
A comprehensive history together with a physical examination should be the first step in eliciting the cause or causes of the weight loss. This step includes screening for potential risk factors and assessing current medications. Computed tomographic screening is of limited value. Instead, diagnostic testing should be directed toward areas of concern based on the history and physical examination.
Treatment needs to be individualized and targeted to the patient’s risk factors and to findings on history, physical examination and investigations.
Unintentional weight loss of more than 4% in a year appears to be an independent predictor of increased mortality (relative risk [RR] 2.43, 95% CI 1.34–4.41). In a prospective study of 41 836 women, conducted in the United States as part of the Iowa Women’s Health Study, one or more episodes of unintentional weight loss of more than 20 pounds during adulthood was associated with a 46%–57% higher rate of death.

✓ Fact confirmed: Unintentional weight loss in older adults Svetlana Stajkovic, Elizabeth M. Aitken, and Jayna Holroyd-Leduc; 2011 Mar 8

Many medications both prescribed and over-the-counter drugs may result in weight reduction.

Weight loss can occur because of progressed lung or cardiovascular diseases. This is frequently seen in people affected by congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Neurological illnesses can lead to weight loss. Such illnesses are stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. In this case, weight loss may occur due to difficulty of swallowing or forgetting to eat.

Kidney disease involves nausea, vomiting and elimination of proteins through urine, all of which lead to weight loss.

People who are anxious, depressed and stressed often have decreased appetite and lose weight because of that.