Why did I start losing weight? What are the reasons for sudden weight loss in men?

Remember that nothing happens in our body without any reason. Each process in our body is accompanied by certain circumstances, including weight gain or weight loss.

The main reasons for losing weight are various diseases that do not immediately manifest themselves. It is possible to detect them in the early stages only through examination in a hospital.

• Various gastrointestinal diseases. Characterized by a decrease in appetite and the supply of nutrients to the body. Such ailments include gastritis, ulcers, and problems with the biliary tract. Moreover, illnesses do not necessarily manifest themselves in the form of pain in the abdominal area; it may also happen that you do not suspect chronic gastritis, complaining about something else;
• Strong nervous disorders and depression completely discourages the desire not only to eat, but also blocks the normal functioning of the body, preventing it from replenishing weight loss;
• Infectious diseases and malignant tumors also reduce appetite and promote rapid weight loss.

Losing weight: reasons

Why am I losing weight? Diseases that do not affect appetite

If no causes were found in the diseases above and everything is fine with your appetite, then, probably, the cause may be hidden in diseases in which the appetite remains normal or even high level and despite this, a significant loss of kilograms occurs. Such diseases include:

Losing weight for no reason: what is most common?

Indeed, there is a whole series ailments why people lose weight, including cancer, but in most cases they have nothing to do with it. Oncology, for example, produces sudden weight loss, which you would definitely feel and suspect something was wrong. Less noticeable and frequent reasons why a person loses weight are:

• Helminths. You can live for years without realizing that all this time you've been feeding a fluke or a tapeworm that's eating enough large number microelements originally intended for the human body. According to statistics, every second inhabitant of the planet is infected with one type or another of worms. It is quite possible that you are no exception;
• Ordinary systematic stress and nervous disorders are not at all as harmless as they seem from the outside. In the future, they cause multiple complications in the gastrointestinal tract. Food is poorly digested and the necessary substances are not removed from it;
• Do you seem to be eating a lot and still losing weight? The reasons for losing weight lie in an unbalanced diet. You can eat a lot of fruits or vegetables, but completely ignore carbohydrate-containing foods, such as potatoes, or, conversely, eat a small amount of protein. If an important microelement is missing, the body independently obtains it, breaking down its own reserves, that is, “eating itself.”

There are contraindications, consult your doctor.

Surely among your friends there are people who never gain weight, regardless of age, and... But don’t be so quick to envy them. It is quite possible that these people are not in good health. If a person’s body weight remains at the same level for many years– this is really great. But there are cases when weight rapidly decreases due to serious illness.

Sometimes a person begins to “melt” literally before our eyes. Attempts to stop rapid weight loss lead to nothing. The kilograms disappear, and even a high-calorie diet does not save the patient. What to do? There is only one way out. You should immediately find out the reason for losing weight, and then, if possible, eliminate it. We will introduce you to several diseases that most often cause rapid weight loss.

Diabetes mellitus

Most people suffer from diabetes mellitus fat people. But this pattern is typical only for type 2 diabetes. It develops in older people against the background, and is associated with a decrease in tissue sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that promotes the penetration of glucose into the cell.

But type 1 diabetes mellitus mainly affects young people. Fortunately, it is relatively rare. The disease develops due to the destruction of pancreatic cells responsible for the secretion of insulin. Type 1 diabetes mellitus leads to a sharp decrease in body weight against the background of increased appetite.

A person constantly feels “wild” hunger, but at the same time continues to lose weight. The reason is that without insulin, glucose cannot move from the blood into the cells. It is excreted in the urine, so the body experiences an energy deficit. He quickly uses up fat because he has nothing else to eat. After all, carbohydrates, which are the main energy substrate, do not enter the cells.

It is very important to identify type 1 diabetes mellitus in time and begin insulin therapy. Otherwise, everything may end in a diabetic coma with a fatal outcome. Previously, this disease was a death sentence. Today, diabetes mellitus still has no cure, but with the right approach, daily injection of the hormone under the skin can completely compensate for insulin deficiency.

Thyrotoxicosis

The thyroid gland produces several hormones. Among them is triiodothyronine, which accelerates. If thyroid function increases, too many hormones are produced and metabolism speeds up significantly. A person quickly uses up energy. He sleeps less, is constantly in a state of nervous excitement, and the work of all muscles increases.

The tone of not only skeletal muscles, but also smooth muscles increases. This leads to diarrhea or constipation, biliary dyskinesia of the hypertensive type, increased blood pressure, increased frequency of heart rate. With this disease, there is an increased appetite. But, despite the increased diet, the person continues to rapidly lose weight.

How to deal with this problem? The method of treatment depends on the cause of thyrotoxicosis. There are medications that reduce the activity of the thyroid gland, e.g. Mercazolil. Potassium iodide is also prescribed. Unfortunately, such treatment does not always help. In extreme cases, the thyroid gland is surgically removed or destroyed with radioactive iodine. Then the patient is prescribed lifelong thyroxine replacement therapy.

Chronic psychogenic stress

Chronic stress leads to weight loss. It should not be confused with ordinary emotional stress. It causes discomfort, but is short-term in nature and does not lead to rapid weight loss. While stress is a tool for adaptation of the body. It causes significant changes in metabolism.

Stress helps people adapt to new living conditions. Each person has their own stress threshold. For some, the adaptation mechanism may turn on, for example, after a change of job or place of residence. Others need a stronger stimulus: the death of a close relative, disability, family breakdown, complete loss of property, imprisonment, etc.

Stress mobilizes all the forces of the human body. At the same time, there is a significant expenditure of energy, and body weight decreases. It can be dangerous to human health and life. If the state of stress continues for too long, reserves become depleted. This leads to the development of diseases internal organs and sometimes to death.

Intestinal dysbiosis

Intestinal dysbiosis in many cases is accompanied by a significant decrease in appetite, which leads to weight loss. This is a violation of the quantitative or qualitative composition of normal microflora, which occurs as a result of long-term use of antibiotics, poor nutrition, immunological diseases, and intestinal infections.

Often after eating a person experiences cramping and pain in the abdomen. Over time, he develops a fear of unpleasant sensations, and the patient consciously refuses to eat, which also entails weight loss. It should be noted that dysbiosis is only a syndrome (a set of symptoms), but not an independent disease.

The method of treatment depends on the type of pathogen. Currently, there are many effective anthelmintic drugs, which usually help cope with the problem. But at the same time, there are cases when only surgically it is possible to remove the worm from the intestines, liver, lungs and even the human brain.

Oncological diseases

Malignant neoplasms cause rapid loss of body weight. A cancerous tumor is a “glucose trap.” It not only “pulls” sugar from a person’s blood, depriving him of the main energy substrate, but also activates gluconeogenesis in the liver - the process of formation of glucose from non-carbohydrate components. As a rule, they use . They are formed as a result of protein breakdown, so body weight is reduced not only due to adipose tissue, but also due to skeletal muscle. On late stages Cancer patients develop cachexia - complete exhaustion of the body.

We have not listed all the diseases that lead to rapid weight loss. But, as you can see, most of them are dangerous to health and life. Therefore, if you find that your weight is decreasing, you should immediately consult a doctor. Only a specialist can quickly determine the cause of weight loss and prescribe quality treatment that will save you from the more serious consequences of the disease.

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Today, many women are trying to lose weight to meet the modern ideal of beauty. However, it happens that a person, without meaning to, suddenly loses weight. This is what I want to talk about.

How to determine

How can you determine whether a person has lost a lot of weight or whether it still remains within the normal range? So, for this it is enough to take into account two factors:

1. Numerical. That is, every day you need to monitor how much a person loses. These indicators will be completely different, because they depend on the initial weight (if a person is overweight, the loss of extra pounds will occur more rapidly).
2. Visual. You can also determine sudden weight loss by eye. Well, or by your own clothes.

Reason 1. Poor nutrition

What can cause sudden weight loss? The reasons for women are very different, but the most common is an incorrect regimen or simply poor nutrition. This point can easily include the various diets that ladies love to adhere to in the fight against overweight. The main thing when choosing a diet is that such actions must be coordinated with a nutritionist. Otherwise, a woman can bring her body to a painful state.

Reason 2. Increased needs

What other reasons are there for losing weight? It is worth saying that in some periods of time a person’s body needs may increase. So, this can happen after long-term illnesses, if a person changes his way of life (starts playing sports), etc. In this case, the body begins to “suck out” more and more beneficial vitamins and minerals just to maintain tone. This can lead to sudden weight loss.

Reason 3. Impaired absorption

Another reason why this can happen The reasons in women may relate to impaired absorption of nutrients, as well as hypermetabolism. In that case, everything healthy vitamins and microelements that enter the body with food are not absorbed, but are simply released naturally. As a result, the body still tries to take these microelements from somewhere, using up its own fat reserves (everyone, even the slenderest person, has and should have a layer of fat).

Reason 4. Diseases

Why does sudden weight loss sometimes occur? The causes in women are also quite often correlated with the woman’s health status. That is, everything happens as a result of certain diseases.

1. Diabetes mellitus. It is a myth that this disease can only be caused by obesity. You can also lose weight dramatically. It all depends on the state of the human body. The thing is that in this case there is a failure in the metabolic process, which can lead to various consequences. Other symptoms that accompany this disease: thirst, frequent urination and constant fatigue.
2. Adrenal gland disorders. It is worth saying that a disease such as adrenal insufficiency is almost always associated with problems such as anorexia (painful weight loss), irritability and nervousness, and stool disorders. Other symptoms: focal pigmentation on the skin, as well as periodic attacks of nausea (regardless of food intake).
3. Why else can sudden weight loss occur? The causes in women can also quite often be attributed to neurological anorexia. This problem mainly affects women aged 15 to 30 years. In this case, more than 50% of the main weight is lost. Along with this, there is also muscle atrophy, frequent constipation, hair loss, brittle nails, etc.
4. cryptosporidiosis. Diseases of this type cause muscle pain, sudden weight loss, as well as abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
5. Pulmonary tuberculosis. This is a very serious infectious disease. Accompanying symptoms: weight loss (even anorexia), chest pain, hemoptysis, sweating, subfertile temperature.
6. Problems in the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, the following diseases are possible that lead to sudden weight loss: Whipple's syndrome (damage to the intestinal epithelium, which leads to impaired absorption of nutrients), ulcerative colitis (leads to a decrease in appetite), gastroenteritis, etc.
7. Dramatic weight loss due to cancer is also possible. Rapidly progressive weight loss is caused, for example, by leukemia (blood cancer).

Reason 5. Taking medications

Having considered the various symptoms of diseases associated with weight loss, I would also like to say that even taking certain medications can lead to the same result. What kind of medicines are these?

1. Medicines to get rid of thyroid problems.
2. Laxatives.
3. activity.
4. Various chemotherapy (used for cancer).

Reason 6. Physiology

If a woman experiences severe weight loss, the disease will not always be the cause of this condition. Often this is just the work of the body, that is, various kinds of physiological processes. In this case, weight loss is possible:

1. When natural aging of the body occurs (muscle mass decreases).
2. Loss of teeth (a person simply finds it difficult to chew food).
3. Various types of psychiatric disorders (a person may simply forget to eat).
4. Alcoholism.

Good or bad?

All doctors say: sudden weight loss is very dangerous for the body. It can lead to a variety of consequences, including huge health problems.

1. Sudden weight loss is a huge stress for the body.
2. This condition can lead to disruption in the functioning of a variety of organs, including vital organs.
3. When a person suddenly loses weight, this can lead to lethargy and decreased performance of the body.
4. With sudden weight loss, vitamin deficiency may develop, which will also negatively affect a person’s appearance (hair loss, brittle nails, skin problems).
5. Aesthetic effect. If a person suddenly loses weight, “extra” skin may form (with gradual weight loss it might not exist).
6. Hormonal problems. If a girl suddenly loses weight, this can lead to a problem such as hormonal imbalance. In this case, the lady’s appearance will suffer greatly. Again, problems with skin, nails and hair will arise.
7. The occurrence of multiple health problems. The most terrible disease that sudden weight loss can lead to is anorexia. Only a few girls manage to cope with this disease.

When should you be wary?

Having considered all the symptoms of diseases associated with weight loss, as well as possible consequences, it is also worth talking about when a woman needs to be wary. So, there are no exact numbers; they will be strictly individual for each person. However, generally speaking, losing 15-20% of your body weight should definitely force a woman to go to the doctor for a consultation.

If you are rapidly, uncontrollably losing weight without apparent reason or effort, then this can be an extremely dangerous factor that requires timely diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.

Description of fast weight loss

Rapid weight loss usually means a sharp decrease in body weight and visual emaciation of a person. At the same time external factors There are no conditions that contribute to this symptom: the patient does not engage in active sports, continues to eat well and leads a normal lifestyle. In this case, the patient’s well-being may be normal for some time, but after a certain period of time, he feels weakness, possibly intoxication, a high temperature and other symptoms of a disease appear.

Reasons

The main mechanisms of this process include poor nutrition or complete starvation, sharply increased body needs after exercise and illness, as well as a significant decrease in absorption nutrients into the body and hypermetabolism, in which essential vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, carbohydrates are excreted naturally without their penetration into the body.

Sudden weight loss is most often caused by various diseases of the neurological, gastrointestinal, infectious, metabolic, oncological types, as well as acute deficiency of vitamins or nutrients involved in metabolic processes.

Possible diseases

A sharp decrease in body weight, as mentioned above, can be caused by a huge range of diseases and negative conditions. Here are just a few of them:

1. Problem with the adrenal glands. Typically, adrenal insufficiency is accompanied by anorexia, weakness, sudden weight loss, disturbances in regular bowel movements, and mental irritability. Sometimes the patient is plagued by attacks of nausea, as well as focal manifestations of strong skin pigmentation.
2. Diabetes mellitus. There is a common belief that diabetes only causes obesity - this is not true at all! This disease causes metabolic processes to malfunction and provokes not only weight gain, but also sudden weight loss, depending on the specific condition of the body. In addition to weight loss, diabetes mellitus is accompanied by fatigue, extreme thirst, and frequent urination.
3. Neurological anorexia. This disease of a neurological nature is typical for women from 18 to 30 years old and is accompanied by a very sharp loss of weight (up to 50 percent) over a short period of time. Patients with this diagnosis experience muscle atrophy, hair loss, general weakness, hypotension, frequent constipation, and regular uncontrolled vomiting.
4. Systemic depression. Severe forms of systemic depression are sometimes accompanied by drowsiness, suicidal thoughts, loss of appetite and weight, and general fatigue.
5. Cryptosporidosis. Protozoal infections of this type provoke muscle pain, sudden loss of body weight, severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea with vomiting.
6. Viral infections with herpes. Herpes, despite the classic sluggish form of the disease, sometimes contributes to malnutrition due to unpleasant sensations while eating, which in turn provokes weight loss.
7. Gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis quite strongly affects the processes of absorption of fluids into the body, slowing them down, which in turn leads to serious weight loss, dehydration, fever, dryness of all mucous systems of the body, tachycardia and other manifestations of the disease.
8. Esophagitis. Inflammation in the esophagus area causes severe pain during food consumption - a person can de facto avoid this activity or reduce it to a minimum. Such swallowing dysfunctions provoke severe and sudden weight loss, and the patient often experiences regular vomiting.
9. Leukemia. Such a terrible disease as blood cancer causes rapidly progressive loss of body weight, tachycardia, general weakness of the body, pain in the muscles and bones, anemia, wide-spectrum fevers, enlarged spleen, etc.
10. Various oncologies. Almost every cancer can be a catalyst for the process of rapid weight loss, which varies in symptoms depending on the location and type of disease
11. Stomatitis. Various inflammations of the oral mucosa interfere with proper nutrition and thus provoke weight loss.
12. Pulmonary tuberculosis. A serious infectious disease can cause, in addition to sweating, weakness, chest pain, hemoptysis, shortness of breath and low-grade fever, weight loss with anorexia.
13. Lymphomas. In acute lymphomas, dynamic, smooth weight loss is usually observed, occurring against the background of enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, liver and skin itching.
14. Thyrotoxicosis. This disease provokes a significant increase in the level of hormones in the thyroid gland, which “accelerate” metabolic processes, causing severe diarrhea, sweating, fever, sudden weight loss, and tremors of the limbs.
15. FFT syndrome. In newborns and small children, nutritional underdevelopment is rarely but periodically diagnosed, as a result of which the baby extremely quickly loses weight and strength.
16. Whipple syndrome. This condition is characterized by significant damage to the intestinal epithelium and an almost complete stop in the absorption of fluid and nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract, which in turn provokes a sharp loss of body weight, diarrhea, steatorrhea and various anorexic manifestations.
17. Ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis causes a decrease in appetite, physical exhaustion of the body and weight loss and an increase in body temperature.
18. Crohn's disease. As the disease progresses, patients experience weakness, fatigue, constant diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fast weight loss even with adequate nutrition.
19. Medicines. Some medications for the treatment of the thyroid gland, brain stimulants, laxatives, and chemotherapy are a catalyst for extremely rapid weight loss with general depletion of the body.
20. Physiological reasons. Physiological reasons for weight loss include aging (and, accordingly, a decrease in muscle mass body), psychiatric disorders, alcoholism, tooth loss (difficulty chewing food), etc.

What to do and how to stop?

If the diagnosis does not reveal serious health problems, then it is necessary to apply a number of physiological procedures to normalize metabolism and systematize the diet.

1. Do moderate physical activity regularly, preferably outdoors.
2. Be outside more often on a sunny day and work up an appetite.
3. Significantly increase the calorie content of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eat heartily, include a variety of baked goods, pasta, fish dishes and a large number vegetable oil.
4. Drink decoctions that increase your appetite.

If sudden weight loss is associated with stress or emotional tension, you should:

1. Learn to fully relax. Take meditation and yoga courses.
2. You use aromatherapy to normalize your emotional background.
3. Drink decoctions that lift your spirits and relieve stress.
4. Sign up for relaxation massages.

If your problem is still related to illness, then you should definitely visit a doctor, especially in the case when you have been rapidly losing weight for more than a month, there are other ailments, and your total body weight is 15-20 percent less than average.

Are you suddenly losing weight, and at the same time there is a constant urge to vomit, and nausea does not go away even after using medications? There may be several reasons for this, and all of them are related to possible manifestations of disease.

The combination of the two above symptoms is characteristic of:

1. Wide range of gastrointestinal tract diseases. IN in this case fundamental factor There is an inflammatory process that blocks the absorption of nutrients and disrupts digestion. Such dispersed phenomena as loose stools, vomiting with nausea, provoke a more active removal of useful substances from the body, which causes tissue hypoxia, as well as an acute lack of “fuel” for the body.
2. Hormonal imbalances, in particular hypothyroidism, caused by a lack of basic thyroid hormones. The autoimmune disease is characterized by constant nausea, drowsiness, fatigue, as well as sudden weight gain or, conversely, weight loss.
3. Cancer of various etymologies. Some of the basic symptoms of advanced cancer are nausea, weight loss, and blood clots in the stool.
4. Pregnancy with concomitant toxicosis. In the first trimester of pregnancy, expectant mothers often experience attacks of nausea, they lose weight, lose appetite, and experience general weakness of the body. This physiological process is a consequence of toxicosis and should pass by 20-22 weeks of pregnancy. If the alarming symptoms do not disappear, then you urgently need to undergo a comprehensive diagnosis of the condition of your body.
5. Addison's syndrome (hypocortisolism). With adrenal insufficiency, along with other symptoms, the weight of the patient who experiences regular nausea and vomiting almost always decreases significantly.

Weight loss and fever

Rapid and sudden weight loss, as well as the high temperature that accompanies this process, usually indicates the presence in the body of diseases such as ulcerative colitis, gastroenteritis or pulmonary tuberculosis. Quite often, these symptoms indicate extreme exhaustion of the entire body or a chronic lack of fluid that nourishes all body systems.

Smooth dynamic weight loss with increasing amplitude, as well as constant low-grade fever, increasing in the evenings, may indicate the development of oncology and cancerous tumors.

Weight loss during pregnancy

Weight loss during pregnancy in the first trimester is considered normal if it is accompanied by toxicosis. During this period expectant mother experiences regular vomiting, aversion to certain types of food, and general weakness. Typically, toxicosis goes away by 20-22 weeks and, from a physiological point of view, does not harm the baby or the fair sex. However, if toxicosis significantly drags on or you lose weight without any visible reason for a long period of time, and especially in the second and third trimester, then this is a reason to urgently consult a doctor, who, using a comprehensive diagnostic method, will help determine the real reason weight loss.

Weight loss under stress

Stressful situations, depression, as well as various neurological conditions can provoke both obesity and significant sudden weight loss. In some cases, these conditions provoke the development of anorexia, especially if they are caused deliberately in an attempt to reduce weight by provoking vomiting after meals.

The problem can only be eliminated by qualified help from specialists who will prescribe appropriate medication, physiological procedures and recommend psychological help.

Carefully and carefully monitor your own health, prevent the development of diseases and always be happy!

Useful video

IN lately most people are concerned about the availability overweight body and therefore weight loss is not considered a problem. Losing weight as a result of dieting, exercise and cosmetic procedures is a normal state of the body. In some cases, weight loss occurs for no apparent reason - this is an indicator that something is wrong in the body, and this is not a reason for joy, but a signal for an in-depth examination.

Safe weight loss

Weight loss is most often a problem for obese people. In this case, the loss of extra pounds is due to a reduction in the amount of fat deposits. Of course, everyone wants to lose weight quickly, and at the same time make a minimum of effort. However, firstly, this is impossible, you will have to work on yourself, and a lot, and secondly, you should understand that radical diets and unbearable physical activity can lead not only to desired result, but also to a hospital bed, causing serious health problems for life.

To reduce the amount of body fat, you need to eat right and exercise regularly. physical exercise.

It must be complete, and to determine the optimal caloric content of the diet, it is better to consult a specialist. Physical activity should also be dosed and regular.

Now all kinds of information sources are replete with various diets that promise weight loss by 10, 20, or even 30 kg per month. Only a nutritionist can give an unambiguous answer to how many kilograms a specific person can “lose” on a diet per month without harm to health. It is necessary to take into account the initial weight, age, physical capabilities and condition of the body of the person losing weight. The optimal loss is 2-3% of initial body weight monthly. It is precisely this kind of loss that the body can perceive as physiological and will not boomerang back the lost kilograms.

Another reason for weight loss not associated with disease is increased physical activity (for example, the transition to heavy lifting). physical labor). In this case, it is necessary to increase the caloric content of the diet and the amount of protein consumed in order to ensure the increased energy consumption of the body. The same diet with increased physical activity can lead to exhaustion over time.

When should weight loss be a concern?

Losing weight for no apparent reason should make you think that something is happening to your body. For example, a person leads a normal lifestyle, his diet has not changed recently, physical activity has not increased, but for some reason weight loss occurs. Moreover, in some cases, a person loses up to 10 kg in weight every month, this, of course, affects his appearance, and this is a reason to sound the alarm. Sometimes the cause of such changes in the body is quite easy to identify; the doctor just needs to carefully ask the patient about the latest events in his life. And sometimes, in order to understand what led to sudden weight loss, you have to undergo more than one examination.

The reasons leading to pathological weight loss can be divided into several large groups:

• restriction of food intake (voluntary or forced);
• disruption of digestive processes;
• metabolic disorders;
• oncological diseases.

Restricting food intake

Sometimes losing weight is not a reason for joy, but a signal that something is wrong with the body.

Intoxication

Each of us suffered from other infectious diseases. One of the symptoms that occurs with every disease that is accompanied by intoxication syndrome is the absence or decrease in appetite. A person deliberately refuses food because he simply does not feel like eating. In addition, attempts to force feed him can cause nausea and even vomiting. After suffering from the flu, many people notice a decrease in body weight of a couple of kilograms on the scale.

Chronic infectious diseases, such as, etc., as well as, are often accompanied by chronic intoxication, in which case a person’s appetite is reduced for a long time, resulting in progressive weight loss. The first signs of such diseases that should alert you are constant malaise, fatigue, weakness, low-grade body temperature that persists for a long time.

Neuropsychiatric disorders and diseases of the central nervous system

There is an expression “eating stress”, which means that a person, in any situations related to psycho-emotional stress, appetite increases. In fact, this is not always the case. In many cases, with stress, depression and a number of mental illnesses, appetite decreases or disappears altogether. By the way, “unhealthy cravings” for thinness, deliberate refusal of food for the sake of weight loss and other unnatural measures leading to disruption of the functioning of internal organs are today a serious problem, designated by the term “anorexia nervosa”.

Weight loss is observed with severe damage to the central nervous system as a result or when food intake is impossible as a result of impaired consciousness or the swallowing reflex.

Chewing and swallowing problems

One of the reasons for weight loss in older people is a problem with the masticatory apparatus, simply put, with teeth, or rather their loss. Poorly chewed food is poorly digested in subsequent sections of the gastrointestinal tract, which is why complete absorption of nutrients does not occur, resulting in weight loss.

Diseases of the larynx and esophagus, in which a narrowing occurs that prevents food from entering the stomach. Most often, this problem occurs with tumor diseases, scars and strictures of the esophagus. Significant narrowings are detected already in the later stages of the disease. In the early stages, there may be choking when swallowing, pain or discomfort when a bolus of food passes through the esophagus; the appearance of such symptoms is a reason to consult a doctor.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Diseases of the digestive system that lead to weight loss can be divided into 2 large groups: impaired digestion of nutrients and impaired absorption.

In case of liver diseases (hepatitis, fatty degeneration, etc.), gastritis, and oncological diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, their digestive function suffers. The production of enzymes is disrupted, and as a result, food is not fully digested.

Absorption of nutrients mostly occurs in the intestines, therefore, with diseases such as colitis, enteritis, etc., the body also does not receive enough nutrients.

Anyone can suspect such problems in their body on their own: pain in the area of ​​the affected organ, bloating, cramps, flatulence. The main symptom is a violation of the stool: diarrhea, discoloration of stool, greasy sheen, the presence of visible remnants of poorly digested food, etc. are possible, but more common. If such problems occur, you should consult a doctor.

Metabolic disorder

Perhaps this cause of weight loss is the most difficult to diagnose, because long time Apart from weight loss, which may be gradual and not very noticeable, there are no other symptoms.

One of the diseases in which loss of body weight occurs while maintaining appetite is (increased production of thyroid hormones with, toxic adenoma, etc.). In the body, under the influence of thyroid hormones, metabolic processes are activated, the breakdown of protein and fatty tissue increases, as a result of which a person loses weight. One of the early symptoms of thyrotoxicosis may attract attention - the patient is constantly hot, even outside in the cold.

As a result of injuries, cancer and infectious diseases of the brain, it can lead to disruption of the production of several hormones responsible for normal metabolism throughout the body. As a result of such severe pathology, against the background of other symptoms, there is a rapid loss of body weight up to 8-10 kg per month.

is another endocrine disease that, contrary to popular belief, can lead not to weight gain, but to weight loss, sometimes very quickly. This condition most often occurs in young people and children with diabetes mellitus Type 1, when insulin is not produced by the pancreas. Cells cannot obtain glucose and begin to use adipose tissue and proteins to meet their energy needs, leading to a decrease in body weight. The symptoms of this disease cannot be ignored: patients develop severe thirst, polyuria (frequent urination, the daily volume of urine can exceed 4-5 liters), impaired appetite (both increase and decrease), increased fatigue, and as the disease progresses, the smell of acetone appears from the body and in exhaled air.

Oncological diseases

With cancer of any organ, sooner or later the body's strength is exhausted and weight loss occurs; this is also facilitated by difficult-to-tolerate treatment. When the gastrointestinal tract is affected, this symptom may be the first and force a person to see a doctor. With cancer of other organs, weight loss may begin later.

Summing up, we can conclude that unreasonable weight loss is a reason to listen to your body and pay attention to your health. Many diseases that lead to pathological weight loss are successfully treated, and, of course, in the early stages, the likelihood of achieving a positive result is much higher.