The point at which unexplained weight loss becomes a medical concern is not exact. But many health care providers agree that a medical evaluation is called for if you lose more than 5% of your weight in 6 to 12 months, especially if you're an older adult.
Your body weight can regularly fluctuate. But the persistent, unintentional loss of more than 5 per cent of your weight over 6 to 12 months is usually a cause for concern. Losing this much weight can be a sign of malnutrition. This is when a person's diet doesn't contain the right amount of nutrients.
You should consult your physician if you have lost more than 5 percent of body weight or 10 pounds without trying in a period of 6 to 12 months. This is especially important if you have other symptoms, too.
Weight loss can be different for men and women. Men tend to gain weight until age 55, and then slowly start to lose it in the years that follow. This could be because men produce less testosterone after this age. Women, on the other hand, usually stop gaining weight once they hit age 65.
As we age, people usually experience muscle atrophy, loss of bone density, and a reduction in liver and kidney cells. Additionally, the loss of tissue reduces the amount of water in the body. All of this can result in weight loss that may be noticeable, but not necessarily cause for alarm.
Heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and cancer are leading causes of weight loss in the elderly. Poor circulation causes a decrease in body mass because of the heart's inability to effectively pump and deliver nutrients to the various parts of the body.
It may be that you have a fast metabolism (meaning your body burns energy from food at a fast rate than the people around you) or you're just naturally slender. For some people, underlying health conditions and certain medications and treatments can make it difficult to reach and/or maintain a healthy weight.
If you're losing weight without trying and you're concerned about it, consult your health care provider. As a rule of thumb, losing more than 5% of your weight over 6 to 12 months may indicate a problem.
Summary. Weight loss is not a symptom of all types of cancer. It can be caused for a variety of reasons. Sometimes weight loss is directly related to cancer, but other factors such as emotional distress and side effects of treatment can contribute to weight loss.
Weight loss is common among people with cancer. It may be the first visible sign of the disease. In fact, 40% of people say they had unexplained weight loss when they were first diagnosed with cancer.
The majority of cancer patients lose weight at some point in the course of the disease. Weight is sometimes the sign that leads someone to get diagnosed with cancer, but it may occur at any time, such as during treatment or in the advanced stages of the disease. The patient's eating habits may change.
The B vitamins, including B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5, B-6, B-12, biotin, and folate, are essential for maintaining normal body weight. They are considered the best vitamins for weight gain, as they are involved in many metabolic processes in the body.
Eat food rich in carbohydrates like parathas, a plate full of brown rice, whole milk, eggs, potatoes, full-fat curd, etc. These give your body the energy it needs to gain weight. Foods that are high in fat are difficult to digest and thus can slow down your metabolism, so consume food rich in carbohydrates only.
What are the risks of being underweight? If you are underweight, you may be at greater risk of certain health conditions, including malnutrition, osteoporosis, decreased muscle strength, hypothermia and lowered immunity. You are more likely to die at a younger age.
In more than 90 percent of cases, the problem is that the child isn't taking in enough calories. Other causes include children who lose calories through persistent vomiting, diarrhea or malabsorption or who have a chronic condition such as a heart or lung disease that causes them to require more to grow.
Here are some of their key findings. The scariest time, for those dreading the loss of a parent, starts in the mid-forties. Among people between the ages of 35 and 44, only one-third of them (34%) have experienced the death of one or both parents. For people between 45 and 54, though, closer to two-thirds have (63%).