Unintentional weight loss - NHS Choices. Sudden, noticeable weight loss can happen after a stressful event, although it can also be a sign of a serious illness. It's normal to lose a noticeable amount of weight after the stress of changing jobs, divorce, redundancy or bereavement.
Unintentional weight loss; Introduction. Sudden, noticeable weight loss can happen after a stressful event, although it can also be a sign of a serious illness. Unintentional weight loss often signals serious pathology. Estimates suggest 13.3% of the population experiences unintentional weight loss, and up to 7% experiences a. Unintentional weight loss among older adults is a problem commonly encountered in clinical practice. As discussed in the first part of this article.
Weight often returns to normal when you start to feel happier, after you've had time to grieve or get used to the change. Counselling and support may be needed to help you get to this stage. Significant weight loss can also be the result of an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia. If you think you have an eating disorder, talk to someone you trust and consider speaking to your GP.
There are also several organisations you can talk to for information and advice, such as the eating disorders charity Beat. If your weight loss wasn't due to the above causes, and you didn't lose weight through dieting or exercising, see your GP, as you may have an illness that needs treating.
The following information may give you a better idea of the cause of your weight loss, but don't use it to diagnose yourself. Always see a GP for a proper diagnosis. How much weight loss is a concern? Your body weight can regularly fluctuate, but the persistent, unintentional loss of more than 5% of your weight over 6 to 1. Losing this much weight can be a sign of malnutrition, where a person's diet doesn't contain the right amount of nutrients. You should pay particular attention if you experience other symptoms, such as: tiredness loss of appetite a change in your toilet habits an increase in illnesses or infections Other common causes of unexpected weight loss.
WebMD Symptom Checker helps you find the most common symptom combinations and medical conditions related to Weight loss (unintentional). Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose. Unexplained weight loss, or losing weight without trying
Unintentional weight loss doesn't always have an identifiable underlying cause but, in addition to the causes mentioned above, it's often the result of: Less common causes of unexpected weight loss. Less frequently, unexpected weight loss may be the result of: the side effects of certain medications alcohol misuse or drug misuse heart, kidney, lung or liver disease a problem with the glands that secrete hormones – such as Addison's disease or undiagnosed diabetesa long- term inflammatory condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupusdental problems – such as losing teeth, having new orthodontics or mouth ulcersa condition that causes dysphagia (swallowing problems)a disease of the gut, such as a stomach ulcer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or coeliac diseasea bacterial, viral or parasitic infection, such as persistent gastroenteritis, tuberculosis (TB) or HIV and AIDSdementia – people with dementia may be unable to communicate their eating needs.
Click on the links above for more information about these causes, including advice on how to manage them. Page last reviewed: 2.
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