Did you lose weight without trying? Here's what it might be

Unintended weight loss which creates questions is not good. Weight gain is a menace, but so is unexplained weight loss. While weight gain puts a biological as well as appearance challenge on the body, weight loss is always seen as a godsend initially and it is ignored till it reaches a serious stage from which it is difficult to be undone.

Sudden weight loss might be a result of an imbalance in the biological ecosystem of the body, if one is not having regular exercises and a controlled diet for an effective weight loss. It can be a symptom of anything debilitating. So if one notices sudden weight loss, one should contact a doctor and take medical assistance. Various factors such as calorie, food type, physical activity, health, medical conditions, age, gender and other social factors decide the overall weight of an individual.

"If you lose more than 5% of your weight in 6 to 12 months, tell your doctor, especially if you’re an older adult. That would be about 8 pounds if you weigh 150, or 10 pounds if you weigh 200. Sudden weight loss without a reason can be a sign of a health problem," says a WebMD report.

Hyperthyroidism, diabetes, stress, cancer, COPD, heart disease, dementia are said to be the common reasons why people suddenly lose most of their weight.

A silent reason for most of the health ailments, diabetes leads to weight loss in individuals. Due to insufficient insulin, the body's cells start using fat and muscle for energy thus reducing the overall body weight. This also makes people thirsty and hungry most of the time.

In this condition when more thyroid hormone is produced in the body, the body's overall metabolism shoots up to burn more calories and hence one loses weight without even trying. Apart from weight loss one can also experience frequent bowel movement and increased heartbeat rate in this condition.

Stress induces the formation of hormones that affects gastrointestinal activity and metabolism rate. Stress is known to affect weight in a disastrous manner; it can either lead to severe weight gain or else can lead to a severe weight loss.

Cardiac cachexia or body wasting is a heart complication in which the body loses a great amount of fat, muscle and bone. This leads to serious weight loss which is often irreversible.

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One of the first signs of cancer is weight loss. 40% of the people who are diagnosed with cancer show unexplained weight loss. In about 80% of people with advanced stages of cancer, weight loss is observed. Cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, stomach, and lung cause weight loss mostly.

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Medical experts have said that when the lungs do not function properly the individual breathes harder to survive. The body is put through a rigorous activity phase in order to breathe which burns up calories 10 times faster thus making weight loss a prominent symptom of COPD.

Weight loss is often linked to dementia. "This weakens your ability to think along with your basic memory and social skills. In later stages, you may lose a lot of weight because you forget to eat or find it harder to chew or swallow. Chronic infections, special diets, and drugs used to treat dementia can make it worse," a WebMD report says. Studies have revealed that one in every 2-3 individuals having dementia experience weight loss.