Diet gun

Unexplained weight loss, without seeking it with a weight loss diet, can be dangerous to health.

If we lose more than 10% of our weight in six months to a year, without seeking it, we should seek medical help to find the causes that caused the loss.

Unexplained weight loss can happen to anyone but is more common in people over 60 years of age.

The most common causes that cause unexplained weight loss are the following:

Hyperthyroidism

The thyroid produces the hormones that regulate metabolism and when it overworks, it produces more hormones than are needed, resulting in increased energy consumption by the body, resulting in unexplained weight loss. Fatigue, muscle weakness, insomnia, tachycardia, nervousness may also coexist.

Digestive system problems

Difficulties swallowing due to esophageal diseases, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease will result in less food intake and weight loss.

Some of these diseases may be accompanied by diarrhea, abdominal pain, resulting in even greater unexplained weight loss due to dehydration.

Dental diseases

Diseases such as periodontitis, gingivitis, decayed teeth with inflammation cause chewing difficulties, resulting in a decrease in the amount of food we consume and weight loss.

Muscle Wasting

The destruction of muscle, which can cause unexplained weight loss either due to an injury or stroke or from diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

The normal decrease in muscle mass occurs most often in people over 60 years of age, although it can begin earlier, especially in cases of lack of physical activity or poor diet resulting in weight loss.

Addison’s disease

Addison’s disease is an autoimmune disease that causes damage to the adrenal glands and limits the production of cortisol and aldosterone, which are hormones essential for metabolism and can also lead to anorexia. It also causes gastrointestinal disorders (nausea, vomiting) resulting in dehydration and a decrease in body mass due to water and salt imbalances.

Parasitic infections

Parasitic infections can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea, resulting in loss of appetite, and reduced food intake will lead to weight loss.

Cancer

Weight loss is common especially in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract such as pancreatic, colon, liver, stomach, bile ducts, and esophagus, and in lung cancer.

Cancer (and anticancer treatments) affect smell, taste, and appetite, as well as the ability to absorb food, resulting in anorexia, which can lead to malnutrition with severe weight loss.

Once the doctor identifies the causes of unexplained weight loss and, if necessary, administers the appropriate treatment and/or performs the necessary surgery, then the dietitian will be able to intervene by providing appropriate nutrition for the specific cause and depending on the person’s preferences to stabilize weight initially, and increase weight in a second stage, if it has the scope to reach its ideal acceptable limits.