Unintended weight loss – Unexplained unintentional weight loss is the loss of excess body weight when you didn’t intend to lose it. Most people lose and gain weight fast. Unintentional weight loss can be a loss of ten pounds (4.5kg) or more (or a weight equivalent to six to twelve times the person’s ideal body weight) over six months or less, without realizing the cause.
Weight loss can also be unintentional, if the sudden loss of one or more of your favorite foods caused by a dietary problem or other illness. This type of loss of appetite is called a hypoglycemic episode. It occurs because the body is attempting to respond to a change in its metabolism.
Hypoglycemia or low blood glucose occurs when the body’s blood sugar level falls below a critical point causing a drop in energy levels, a sensation of tiredness, weakness, and confusion. Hypoglycemic episodes can occur suddenly after eating certain foods like carbohydrates, starches, and high fats, such as dairy products, white breads, and desserts containing chocolate, white rice, and potatoes. In some cases, a person may be able to “catch” this condition from an accident before losing too much weight.
In a sudden unexpected loss of weight, a person has suffered an episode of hypoglycemia. The sudden drop in blood sugar causes the body to release insulin, which increases the production of energy and glucose for the body. If the body does not get enough sugar, it will store it as fat, instead of burning it. A person who loses a lot of weight without the proper nutrition will likely suffer from hypoglycemia at some point in their life.
Shocking or unexpected loss of appetite is another common occurrence that can occur in many cases of hypoglycemia. Shocked or unintended weight loss, especially in the absence of dieting or exercise, can happen when a person is on medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, heart problems, or when pregnant.
Another unexpected weight loss can be the sudden and unexpected loss of a person’s appetite for junk food or sugary snacks. This is often caused by a chemical reaction in the body called cravings, a mental response to food. This physical response is similar to overeating and when the body senses that it has had enough of something and starts to crave it again. Cravings can be triggered by emotional factors or by boredom, stress, anxiety, or anger.
Unintentional or sudden weight loss that takes place after eating can be a symptom of a serious medical condition, such as an adrenal tumor or thyroid cancer, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or a rare heart condition called hyperthyroidism. The body’s normal metabolic rate may slow down. The metabolism of the brain slows as a result, causing a drop in mental focus and concentration. When the body’s metabolism slows down, metabolism of fat in the body also slows down.
There are other reasons for weight gain or loss without being aware of them, such as the removal or increase of a pituitary gland hormone, called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). A high TSH level can stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more pituitary hormones that cause the thyroid gland to produce more testosterone.
This causes a hormonal imbalance that increases your energy and metabolism. Some people, especially women, may notice an increase in energy levels and appetite, though the increased metabolism does not result in weight gain. This may signal that the body needs to replace the hormones.
Sometimes, the body needs to replace hormones and thyroid hormone in order to balance out the system and allow the thyroid gland to produce more TSH, which regulates the metabolism of fat. Hypothyroidism can be treated with a synthetic hormone in the form of a synthetic thyroid hormone. If there is no reaction to the synthetic hormone, then treatment with the hormone may be necessary.