Unintentional weight loss

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It is a decrease in body weight, when you are not looking to lose weight.

Definition

Weight loss without apparent cause or involuntarily, especially if it is significant or persistent, can be a sign of an undiagnosed medical disorder.

The moment in which weight loss without apparent cause becomes a medical concern can not be determined accurately. But many doctors agree that a medical evaluation is required if a person loses more than 5 percent of their weight in six months to a year, especially if they are elderly. For example, a 5 percent weight loss in a person weighing 160 pounds (72 kilograms) is 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms). In a person who weighs 200 pounds (90 kilograms), the loss is 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms).

Weight is affected by caloric intake, activity level, general health status, age, absorption of nutrients and economic and social factors

Causes

Weight loss without apparent cause has several causes, medical and non-medical. Often, a combination of things causes a general deterioration in health and related weight loss. Sometimes the specific cause is unknown.

In general, in an unrecognized type of cancer other symptoms or anomalies of laboratory analysis will be present, in addition to the thinning without apparent cause.

The possible causes of weight loss without apparent cause are the following:

Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency)

Cancer

Celiac

Changes in diet or appetite

Changes in the sense of smell

Changes in the sense of taste

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

Crohn's disease

Dementia

Dental problems

Depression (major depressive disorder)

Diabetes

Heart failure

HIV AIDS

Hypercalcemia

Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

Medicines

Parkinson's disease

Peptic ulcer

Substance abuse (alcohol, cocaine or other)

Tuberculosis

Ulcerative colitis (a type of inflammatory bowel disease)

When to consult the doctor

If you lose weight involuntarily and this worries you, consult your doctor. As a general rule, losing more than 5 percent of your weight over a period of 6 to 12 months could indicate a problem. If you are an older adult with several undiagnosed or more serious health problems, even a minor weight loss could be significant.

The doctor will work with you to try to determine the cause of the weight loss. At the beginning, this will involve a thorough review of your background, a physical examination and routine laboratory analysis. Imaging scans for the detection of hidden cancers are usually not useful unless there is some other indication pointing in that direction.

Sometimes, if the basic evaluation is negative, the next reasonable step would be a cautious observation between one and six months. You may need a special diet to prevent further weight loss or to regain lost weight.

Alternative names

Weightloss; Losing weight without intending to; Unexplained weight loss

References

Bistrian BR. Nutritional assessment. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016: chap 214.