Unexpected Body Weight Loss

This would be equivalent to a 200 pound man losing 10 pounds or a 130 pound woman losing 6 to 7 pounds.

Unexpected body weight loss. Unintentional weight loss definition. Muscle loss or muscle wasting can lead to unexpected weight loss the major symptom is muscle weakness. Treatment involves identifying the underlying cause of the weight loss.

Unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of a serious illness including cancer or diabetes. In fact unexplained weight loss could be an early sign of a serious health condition says kerry hildreth m d an assistant professor of geriatric medicine at the university of colorado. Unexplained weight loss is defined as the unintentional loss of at least 10 pounds or 5 of body weight over a period of 6 to 12 months.

The point at which unexplained weight loss becomes a medical concern is not exact. When someone develops diabetes their body isn t able to take up adequate amounts of sugar for energy due to lack of insulin she says when the cells aren t able to take up this sugar they starve which. Unexplained weight loss is a noticeable drop in body weight that occurs even if the person is not trying to lose weight.

One of your limbs may even look smaller than the other. Most people are very aware of the dangerous consequences of weight gain and many articles. Diana gariglio clelland registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at balance one says that one of the primary potential causes of unexpected weight loss is diabetes.

Unexplained weight loss or losing weight without trying particularly if it s significant or persistent may be a sign of an underlying medical disorder. If you lose 5 to 10 percent of your body weight over the course of three to six months you need to get checked out says reshmi srinath m d assistant professor of diabetes endocrinology. Once you reach middle adulthood your weight should remain relatively stable.

Unexplained weight loss is the term used to describe a decrease in body weight that occurs unintentionally and can be a warning sign of diabetes. If you are losing 4 5 5 kg or 5 percent of your normal body weight over 6 12 months or less and you don t know the reason you may be having a problem called sudden weight loss or unintentional.