Causes of Drastic Weight Loss and How to Overcome It

Weight loss can occur through effort, such as diet or exercise. But if the weight drops dramatically without there are certain businesses to reduce it, chances are there is a disease. This condition needs to be watched out and checked the cause.

The limit of weight loss that needs to be watched out is if it reaches 4.5 to 5 kg, or more than 5 percent of the initial weight, in a period of 6-12 months.

For example, if your initial weight is 70 kg, you need to be vigilant if you experience a decrease of up to 4 kg, even though you are not on a diet or doing a weight loss effort.

Causes of Drastic Weight Loss

Drastic weight loss is one sign of malnutrition, a condition when the body lacks the nutrients it needs to function and improve. Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, can be one of the causes. Stress or severe depression can also make you lose body weight.

Apart from a number of causes above, drastic weight loss can also indicate the following conditions:

1. Hormone disorders

Hormone disorders can cause excessive weight loss. are hyperthyroidism and diabetes.

2. Chronic illness

Drastic weight loss is one of the symptoms of a chronic disease that indicates organ damage, such as heart failure, kidney failure, or liver failure. People with this disease usually experience loss of appetite.

In addition, autoimmune diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can also be the cause of drastic weight loss.

3. Gastrointestinal disease

Some intestinal disorders that cause drastic weight loss include gastric ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis. The problem of absorption of nutrients, as in celiac disease, can also cause weight loss to drop dramatically.

4. Infection

Infection can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites. Keep in mind, not all infections can cause weight loss to drop dramatically. Infection that can make the body lose weight significantly include tuberculosis, HIV/ AIDS, and intestinal worms.

5. Cancer

Drastic weight loss can be a symptom of cancer, such as lymphoma, leukemia, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer.

6. Tooth and mouth disease

Toothache, gums, or canker sores do not directly cause weight loss, but can interfere with the process of chewing and swallowing food, resulting in difficulty eating.

7. Drug side effects

Long-term treatment can affect body weight. This can be caused by side effects of nausea and decreased appetite, due to consumption of certain drugs. One medicine that has many side effects causes weight loss is chemotherapy.

In addition, drug abuse and alcohol consumption can also cause unhealthy weight loss.

Neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's dementia, can also cause weight loss to drop dramatically, although indirectly due to reduced independence and ability to perform various basic activities, including eating.

Because there are many conditions and diseases that can cause weight loss to drop dramatically, then this complaint needs to be consulted by a doctor. The doctor will do a complete physical examination, assessment of nutritional status, and supporting examinations if needed, to ascertain the cause.

How to Overcome Drastic Weight Loss

How to cope with weight drops dramatically depending on the cause. Besides overcoming the causes, the thing that is also very important in the treatment of drastic weight loss is improving nutrition and calorie intake, so that the body's needs are met.

To determine the target of increasing body weight, improving nutrition, and providing medicines to overcome this condition, nutritionist doctors and other specialist doctors are needed, according to the patient's illness. The doctor will determine the type, amount, and method of feeding, and provide nutritional supplements if needed, to improve nutritional status.

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