Weight loss

Today, the issue of weight loss in one way or another concerns almost every person: someone “suffers” overweight, only dreams or is actively engaged in losing weight, someone, on the contrary, is faced with weight loss in cases where they were not going to lose weight at all, someone loses weight painfully abruptly for reasons that depend on the state of health, medication, medical procedures or operations.

During a person’s life, a person’s weight changes – as he grows up and grows, the child gains weight, since his body naturally changes its anthropometric dimensions. Women get better during pregnancy, after which the weight comes to the original, or, on the contrary, increases. Athletes can gain muscle mass, and then follow a diet when cutting to achieve muscle relief. Therefore, a decrease or increase in body weight accompanies a person all his life for various reasons, periodically replacing each other, and alternating with periods of stability of the figure on the scales.

Definition and classification of weight loss

Weight loss, or weight loss, is a state of weight loss. Given that today a substantial part of the population is concerned about the fight against obesity, there is an opinion that when losing weight in the body, it is the loss of adipose tissue that occurs in the body. In fact, the process of weight loss is not always associated with burning fat. Moreover, even during a targeted fight against excess weight, subject to diet and exercise regimen, the breakdown of fat in the body begins almost in the last turn, only after water reserves and some of the muscle mass are lost.

It is known that a person’s body weight is the total mass of all physiological fluids in the body, the skeleton, organs, muscles, all tissues, including fat reserves, skin, the contents of the digestive tract, and so on. Accordingly, weight loss may not be associated with the breakdown of fats.

In general, any weight loss can be divided into two main groups – weight loss can be targeted, expected, or not related to the implementation of measures for weight loss. In the first case, we are talking about weight loss after a diet, during fasting, intense sports, due to the use of dubious means like pills or tea for weight loss.

The second type of weight loss occurs if a person has not done anything specifically for this. It can be associated with various diseases, operations, physiological conditions (childbirth, breastfeeding, toxicosis).

In addition, weight loss can be:

• physiologically natural (in newborns, in women immediately after childbirth, in people who are malnourished, limit themselves to a diet, intensively go in for sports, hard physical labor);
• pathological (associated with diseases, operations, medications, chemotherapy).

Doctors and nutritionists argue that weight loss can be within the normal range when it does not harm the state of human health, or dangerous, extreme, when weight loss occurs too sharply and rapidly, and the body receives even more harm than it was caused by the existing one. previously overweight (or not overweight). Moreover, it is impossible to name any specific, common figures for all people, since the coefficient of normal weight loss for each person is different and depends on his initial body weight, health status, the presence of chronic diseases and some other factors. To calculate the normal body weight of a particular individual, use the Brocca formula or the Quetelet index, the Egorov-Levitsky table.

Also, weight loss can be gradual, for example, if a person follows a diet that is designed to reduce weight up to 4-5 kilograms of weight per month, or abrupt if a person loses up to 10 kilograms within a week. However, such a criterion for division is subjective, and more depends on the perception of the person who is losing weight and the people around him.

Reasons for losing weight

As already mentioned, weight loss can be targeted or unplanned.

So, the main reasons for losing weight include:

• dietary restrictions, malnutrition, intense exercise or hard physical labor;
• childbirth, toxicosis, lactation process, menopause;
• oncological diseases and the process of their treatment;
• endocrine pathologies;
• with HIV infection and viral hepatitis B;
• diseases of the digestive tract (gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and intestines, cholecystitis);
• nervous disorders (stress, neurosis, depression);
• respiratory diseases (for example, pneumonia, bronchitis), which occur with an intoxication syndrome;
• other infectious lesions;
• surgery, taking certain medications, as well as age-related changes in the body.

Targeted weight loss: diets, sports activities, non-traditional means

The issue of losing weight is relevant for men and women, because the absence of excess weight gives more chances to look more attractive in the eyes of others, and some people simply need to normalize their health.

There are many types of diets for weight loss – protein, color, mono-diets, vegetarian, express diets, and others. In addition to diets, weight loss complexes and systems are offered, which are based on a combination of a specific diet with regular physical activity, yoga, non-traditional means like acupuncture, and even spiritual practices.

A person interested in losing weight will most likely first go to the Internet, look for a suitable way. The best thing to do is to see a therapist first. Only a doctor can find out the reason why a person accumulates excess weight. The therapist will conduct the necessary laboratory and instrumental examination and, after receiving the results, will refer the patient to a nutritionist if the problem was malnutrition, or to a narrower specialist – an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, immunologist, in the presence of a symptom complex of one or another related pathology.

If you need to get rid of a couple of extra pounds, you can try to do it yourself, using the methods of a healthy diet, or adding walking, light exercise or going to the gym into your daily routine. If the problem lies in tens of kilograms, it should be remembered that self-weight loss can result in deadly consequences if weight loss is rapid with severe dietary restrictions.

Very fast, dramatic weight loss, nutrition based on a mono-diet, or excessive physical activity for an unprepared person are dangerous:

• disorders in the work of the cardiovascular system;
• damage to the gastrointestinal tract;
• convulsive syndrome;
• hungry fainting;
• hormonal disruptions, menstrual irregularities in women;
• depletion of the body;
• avitaminosis;
• loss of trace elements (calcium, potassium and others).

A similar danger is represented by various pills supposedly designed to reduce weight, tea for weight loss and other non-traditional methods. Basically, such drugs and remedies work as diuretics and laxatives, due to which a person simply loses fluids, but not body fat. Fat burning drugs are also not completely safe for humans, as they directly affect the metabolic rate, interfere with the normal processes of fat regulation and fat burning, and can affect the endocrine system. The consequences of taking such funds are unpredictable.

Weight loss due to the peculiarities of female physiology

The state of pregnancy in a woman is a process when a new life, a new person, is formed and develops in her body. The female body completely rebuilds all its systems and processes to ensure the gestation of the fetus, its necessary nutrition, oxygen delivery and successful delivery.

A pregnant woman’s taste preferences, appetite and metabolic rate change. The natural state of a woman in this position is an increase in body weight due to her own weight, the weight of the growing fetus, amniotic fluid and placenta. On average, it is believed that during pregnancy it is normal for a woman to gain from 12 to 18 kilograms. But it also happens that the expectant mother, instead of gaining weight, observes its decrease on the scales. Why is this happening?

A common cause of weight loss in pregnant women in the first trimester is early toxicosis, that is, a painful condition accompanied by nausea and vomiting that develops regardless of food intake. Nausea is accompanied by a decrease or lack of appetite, and in some cases a complete aversion to food. The body may not perceive any food at all, or it may react to specific foods.

A slight weight loss with toxicosis is a normal condition. When the toxicosis ends, the pregnant woman’s body will get stronger and begin to gain weight, as expected. It is worth worrying if toxicosis lasts longer than 3 months, if a woman loses more than 4 kilograms in the first trimester, or loses weight very sharply – in such cases, you should definitely visit a doctor who is pregnant.

In the second trimester, a normal pregnant woman usually does not lose body weight. Weight loss may be due to past illnesses or stress.

Before childbirth, when a woman has already gained a certain maximum mass, weight loss may also occur, which is explained by the preparation of the female body for the birth process, and the expectant mother may lose her appetite and slightly decrease weight.

In the process of childbirth, a woman naturally loses weight, namely the total mass of the newborn, placenta, amniotic fluid lost in the process of blood. Further, after the birth of a child, the weight continues to gradually decrease, but you should not expect that the mass indicators that were before pregnancy will return in the first month. The weight reserves left after childbirth are slowly spent by the body, including on the process of producing breast milk. It is believed that breastfeeding women lose weight somewhat more slowly, since they are not able to follow a diet for weight loss, as well as pay due attention to sports activities. Those who stop breastfeeding early can adjust their diet and physical activity based on their own well-being and free time.

Weight loss can also be associated with the menstrual cycle, but they are very small. So, during menstruation, especially in the first 1-2 days, the body adjusts to active work, it accumulates a certain amount of fluid, which is reflected on the scales by an increase of up to 2 kg of weight, but at the same time, metabolism is somewhat accelerated. If during this period you remove high-calorie and salty foods from the diet, and add more slow carbohydrates, you can notice a slight weight loss.

After the age of 45, women begin intense hormonal changes associated with impending menopause. The reproductive system prepares for a state of rest, ovarian function gradually fades and estrogen production decreases. Due to a shift in hormonal balance, a woman with menopause may experience a change in weight in both directions. In rare cases, even the onset of unnatural thinness is possible with preserved appetite and without the presence of concomitant pathology. In this situation, the weight will depend on the initial and altered hormonal background of the female body.

Cancer and weight loss

The tumor arises in the body and is inextricably linked with it throughout its development. At the same time, a number of its adverse effects on the body are observed. Of particular importance is the localization of the tumor, since it can determine the direct danger of the tumor to the body. For example, cancer of the esophagus leads to starvation, cancer of any part of the digestive tract disrupts nutrition, a brain tumor can compress vital centers. In any tumor, as it develops, necrobiosis and tissue necrosis occur, and hemorrhages are also common. In the case of ulceration of the tumor, which is very characteristic of cancer of the mucous membranes, significant bleeding can occur, often leading to severe anemia, and sometimes death. Anemia, which is a characteristic sign of cancer, is caused not only by these bleedings from the tumor, but also by the general intoxication of the human body. Tumor tissue not only grows rapidly, but also quickly disintegrates, which refers to malignant tumors. At the same time, a large number of tissue decay products are absorbed parenterally. Therefore, the influence of a significant disturbance, even disorganization of all types of metabolism in cancer, combined with the continuous and ever-increasing absorption of the decay products of the tumor tissue, makes it possible to explain the intoxication of the body that is observed in malignant tumors. At the same time, one should not forget that the tumor itself, continuously growing, consumes a number of useful substances necessary for the life of the body.

The decay and ulceration of a malignant tumor provide fertile ground for the development of a secondary infection. There is practically no open tumor (communicating with the external environment) that would not be infected and would not be in a state of inflammation, and sometimes suppuration. In the 20-30s, almost a third of cancer patients died from infectious-purulent complications. At the present time, this number has decreased, mainly due to the use of antibiotics. However, the role of secondary infection in the intoxication of the body of a cancer patient remains significant. When analyzing the complications associated with the primary focus of the tumor, it should be taken into account that a malignant tumor is capable of metastasizing. In other words, all the listed pathological possibilities multiply over time and their influence on the body increases. Thus, as a result of the complications of the tumor described above, a serious condition of patients is created, which is collectively called cancer cachexia.

The period of suspicion of the presence of a tumor is stressful and alarming for a person, and also does not contribute to weight gain. Against a stressful background, a person may begin to refuse food, and as a result, lose weight. After confirmation of the diagnosis, stress and fear can be replaced by depression, which can be accompanied by mental and physical exhaustion, loss of hunger.

During the treatment of the disease, the weight of the patient will fluctuate. With the upcoming surgery, the patient will need to follow an appropriate diet for several weeks before the scheduled date, so weight loss is expected during this period, as well as after the intervention. Weight loss will be especially noticeable if the surgical intervention is associated with partial or complete resection of the organ of the digestive system. After the operation, the weight will noticeably drop to a certain level, but then it can stabilize.

The treatment protocol may also include courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Weight loss occurs immediately during and after chemotherapy, since this period is very difficult for the body to tolerate, a person suffers from a severe general condition, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and may partially refuse food. In addition, one of the consequences of chemotherapy is stomatitis (damage to the mucous membranes of the oral cavity), as well as colitis and cholecystitis. Within a week and a half after the procedure, the weight begins to return, until the next course. While chemotherapy treatment is going on, weight can fluctuate, and with each new cycle, women experience a greater weight loss than the previous time – this is due to the presence of a state of expectation of vomiting, psychogenic nausea. In men, the phenomenon is not observed, since psychogenic nausea and vomiting are not typical for male patients.

Radiation therapy also does not contribute to the patient’s weight gain due to damage to the mucous membranes of the organs that have fallen into the irradiation zone. For example, if it is the neck and head, then the oral mucosa suffers, the amount of saliva secreted decreases, the process of chewing food is disturbed, the mucosa is easily injured, and the taste and smell of food are either not felt at all or are distorted due to damage to receptors. During irradiation of the mammary gland, the esophageal mucosa may suffer, and during radiation therapy for cervical cancer or rectal cancer, the intestinal mucosa, and therefore the absorption capacity of the mucous membrane decreases.

A sharp weight loss is typical for the terminal stages of the disease, when the intoxication of the body with tumor toxins reaches its maximum level.

Weight loss with some endocrine pathologies

Thyrotoxicosis is a hormonal disorder related to thyroid diseases. In the patient’s blood, there is an increased concentration of thyroid hormones, which are produced by iron. One of its symptoms is almost always weight loss.

The disease can be formed due to the development of goiter, with adenoma and various inflammatory processes in the tissues of the organ. Also, an incorrectly selected dose of replacement therapy for hypothyroidism, when your own thyroid hormones are not produced enough, can also contribute to an increased concentration of the hormone in the body.

The first complaints, as a rule, include muscle weakness, drowsiness, trembling of the hands, increased sweating, unreasonable swelling of the eyelids, a sharp increase in oily skin, fever, as well as a sharp weight loss against a background of normal appetite.

There is increased emotional lability, a tendency to cry, mood swings, fluid intake increases, urination becomes more frequent, and non-infectious diarrhea develops.

Most often, the disease affects women aged 20-50 years.

Pheochromocytoma is a hormonally active tumor that is localized in the adrenal glands. Structurally, it consists of the medulla or chromaffin tissue of the glands. Usually affects one of the organs and is benign in 90% of cases.

The disease occurs in people of any age, but usually develops in middle-aged women, and in children it affects boys more often.

The main symptom of the pathology is a consistently high blood pressure due to the fact that the tumor stimulates excessive secretion of hormones by the adrenal glands. The patient’s condition is accompanied by frequent hypertensive crises, and in some cases a stroke may occur.

As a result of increased production of adrenaline, metabolism increases, so the patient feels an increase in heart rate, sweating, in addition, he has frequent cases of diarrhea, an increase in blood glucose concentration, and weight loss. If the tumor is malignant, the patient loses a lot of weight, against this background he may develop diabetes mellitus.

Weight loss in diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is classified as both type XNUMX and type XNUMX diabetes. The first type is diagnosed when there is an absolute insufficiency of its own insulin produced by pancreatic beta cells, due to their destruction. Type 2 diabetes develops in adults or older people who are prone to obesity. At the same time, the body experiences relative insulin deficiency and tissue resistance to the effects of insulin.

Deficiency of insulin in diabetic patients does not allow glucose to move from the blood into the cells, so it cannot be used as an energy source. At the same time, the body feels a lack of energy to maintain its own vital activity, and begins to burn internal resources – muscle mass, body fat. More often, a sharp weight loss is observed in patients with the first type of diabetes mellitus.

Other dangerous symptoms of type XNUMX diabetes are increased thirst, weakness, irritability, dizziness, frequent urination, headache and insomnia. The second type at the very beginning is almost asymptomatic, rarely the patient has increased thirst, dry mouth, severe fatigue and constant fatigue, genital itching.

If the pathology is not diagnosed in time and specific treatment is not provided, the state of the body may be accompanied by the development of life-threatening emergency conditions – ketoacidosis in type 1 diabetes mellitus and a hyperosmolar state in type 2 diabetes. Ketoacidosis in diabetes mellitus is a condition when the body, due to the rapid breakdown of fats, produces special chemicals: ketones, which enter the bloodstream and change its acid-base balance, as a result of which internal organs can be damaged. In diabetes, ketoacidotic coma can develop, which can be fatal. The hyperosmolar state is characterized by an extreme degree of metabolic disturbance in diabetes mellitus, occurring without ketoacidosis against the background of severe hyperglycemia, which can result in hyperosmolar coma.

Weight loss as a symptom or consequence of certain viral diseases

One of the most obvious manifestations of the human immunodeficiency virus is sudden weight loss. It manifests itself at any stage of the development of the disease as a result of the fact that the body spends more energy than it receives.

Thus, weight loss with HIV can be due to several factors:

• acceleration of metabolism;
• changes in the inner surface of the intestinal mucosa, which leads to a violation of the full absorption of nutrients.

At the beginning of the disease, the symptoms of the presence of the virus may not appear at all, or it may develop in 3-4 weeks after infection in the form of:

• inflammation of the lymph nodes and palatine tonsils;
• subfebrile temperature;
• general weakness;
• insomnia;
• frequent loose stools and intestinal disorders;
• apathy, loss of appetite and body weight.

On examination, the doctor may find a slight increase in the liver and spleen, as well as pink skin rashes.

Approximately 30-40% of those infected, the primary symptoms disappear in the form of serous meningitis or encephalitis.

Hepatitis B is a fairly common infectious viral disease. The causative agent is present in human biological fluids – in saliva, semen, blood, vaginal lubrication. The routes of transmission are hematogenous, sexual, vertical (from a pregnant woman to the fetus). The disease usually begins in an acute form, the patient has a fever up to 38 degrees, flu-like symptoms (weakness, drowsiness, pain in the joints and muscles, headache). The condition is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss.

How are gastrointestinal diseases and weight loss related?

The gastrointestinal tract is an organ system that is directly responsible for the digestion of food and the assimilation of all its valuable properties. Naturally, if pathological and functional changes develop in this system, then this will necessarily affect body weight.

In general, diseases of the digestive tract can cause dramatic weight loss for two reasons:

• if the digestion of nutrients is disturbed;
• if there is a violation of their absorption.

So, with gastritis and peptic ulcer of the stomach and intestines, with liver damage (cirrhosis, hepatitis), with cholecystitis, gastroduodenitis and pancreatitis, after some operations, for example, after removal of the gallbladder, it is the digestive function that suffers. At the same time, the required amount of enzymes or gastric juice is not produced, or the digestive juices produced destroy the integrity of internal organs (so a high concentration of gastric juice in a stomach ulcer contributes to its deepening and increase). Food is not fully digested.

Malabsorption of nutrients is usually caused by problems in the intestines, and is observed in patients with colitis, enteritis, Crohn’s disease, in which the body does not receive enough nutrients due to inflammatory processes in the mucous membrane.

Common symptoms other than weight loss:

• pain in the abdomen, for example, cramps and pain in the stomach, in the region of the liver;
• stool disorders: diarrhea, constipation;
• nausea and vomiting;
• blood impurities in feces and vomit;
• lack of appetite and hunger;
• change in stool color;
• increased gas formation, bloating, flatulence;
• cramping;
• heartburn and bad taste in the mouth.

In the presence of such symptoms, it is imperative to visit a gastroenterologist, without waiting for the transition of the disease to an advanced stage.

Weight loss will continue during treatment, as one of the main conditions for recovery is the observance of a special therapeutic diet with low-calorie, low-fat and easily digestible meals that do not contribute to weight gain.

With therapeutic nutrition, with the fulfillment of all the requirements of the attending physician, the patient’s condition normalizes over time, he recovers and the weight will gradually recover.

Weight loss in stressful conditions: how weight is burned

The human body, in particular, its higher nervous activity, is a subtle interconnected mechanism. Any nervous tension or stressful situations can affect the psychological state and functioning of organs and systems. It happens that from prolonged stress, the work of the gastrointestinal tract worsens, hair begins to fall out, and general well-being worsens. Stress, neurosis, depression – such psychological problems may well be the cause of poor appetite or insufficient absorption of nutrients from food.

Stress in many cases leads to weight problems. Some people suffer from added extra pounds, and someone actually struggles with exhaustion and critical weight loss. Some, against the background of weakened immunity, may develop endocrine pathologies, due to which it will be difficult to recover even by 1 kg.

Why does weight loss occur with stress? Any, including short-term, but strong, nervous shock or tension leads to an increased consumption of calories by the body. Chronic stress, with which many people live without even knowing they have it, constantly negatively affects the metabolism. Stress along with weight loss is the first step towards chronic overwork and depression. If you do not reduce the degree of influence of psychological factors on the general condition of a person, he may develop depressive states, neurosis, anorexia.

Stress not only causes spasms of the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, thereby interfering with the normal process of digestion, but also negatively affects a person’s appetite. Appetite is a physiological reaction that promotes the intake of nutrients from food. It is the loss of appetite that is perhaps the most important problem that provokes weight loss in a state of stress.

Another condition that can cause weight loss is depression. Depression is usually called the sum of biological, psychological and social factors. It is rare that only one specific cause leads to depression. Heredity, conditions of early development, characteristics of a person’s life determine the degree of his tendency to depression. The likelihood of such a condition increases, for example, in cases of difficult childhood, as well as due to some very difficult, sad or difficult events for a particular person. Depression can also be caused by a physical illness, such as dementia, thyroid dysfunction, or Parkinson’s disease. For some people, depression can be caused by side effects after taking certain medications, drugs, or alcohol. The development of depression can also be influenced by hormonal causes or lack of sunlight in the winter.

The patient has sleep disturbances, he often wakes up at night, and also wakes up early in the morning and can no longer fall asleep. A person loses appetite and interest in food, his stool is disturbed, constipation occurs. Permissible weight loss in such cases is no more than 5% of the total body weight per month. So, if a person weighs 100 kg, it will be normal for him to lose up to 5 kg in a month. Also, depression is characterized by lethargy, general psychomotor retardation, chronic fatigue.

It should be noted that in some patients, everything happens exactly the opposite: they have an increase in appetite and sleep duration, weight gain occurs.

Psychomotor retardation is accompanied by poor, sluggish speech, poor facial expressions, pallor of the skin on the face, and a general slowdown in the pace of thinking. It is difficult for a person to formulate his thought, he cannot make decisions. In others, on the contrary, there is increased excitement, they move back and forth a lot, make nervous and erratic movements.

With neurosis, the classic picture of symptoms is represented, among other things, by weight loss. Neurotic disorders are reversible conditions with a protracted course and mental disorders. They are formed due to unresolved conflicts, prolonged psycho-emotional trauma, physical or mental overstrain, and not only. There are as many reasons for the development of neurosis as there are dangerous, complex, traumatic or atypical situations in the life of any person. Such factors are psychological. The physiological background of the development of neuroses is the lack of development of the human neurophysiological system.

Weight loss in neurosis refers to the physical manifestations of symptoms. In addition to weight loss, a person has a violation of appetite, fatigue, pain of various types and localizations, blackouts in the eyes, sleep and heart rhythm disorders.

In addition, neurosis also affects the mental state of a person, he may begin to fanatically adhere to various diets, dry fasting, he may not eat at all due to a lack of hunger, due to intolerance to certain foods or smells. Pain and nausea at the sight of food can be caused by both a mental disorder and pathological processes in the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome), which are aggravated by neurosis.

Why does body weight decrease with respiratory diseases

One of the most dangerous diseases of the respiratory tract – pneumonia and bronchitis – is often accompanied by rapid weight loss, and if the disease has a chronic form, at the initial appearance of such a symptom, a person does not yet know that he is developing a dangerous illness.

Acute bronchitis develops with the addition of a secondary bacterial infection against the background of SARS.

The chronic form of bronchitis lasts from several months, is characterized by a prolonged cough with sputum. In this case, a cough can torment a person for several months in a row, and then the attack goes away.

In the acute stage of bronchitis, in addition to a constant cough with mucus, the patient develops shortness of breath, chest pains appear, as well as signs of colds (fatigue, sore throat and muscles). A feverish state is manifested by an increase in temperature to 38-39 degrees. In chronic bronchitis, patients experience weight loss associated with general weakness, deterioration of appetite and well-being.

Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lung tissue. Patients have a severe fever, the temperature can reach values ​​​​of 40-40,5 degrees. Against this background, headaches, weakness, drowsiness join, appetite is completely lost. Due to the lack of hunger, the patient practically refuses to eat, and the body, exhausted by the disease, begins to draw resources for protection from muscles and adipose tissue, as a result of which there is a sharp weight loss, and against the background of high fever, catabolism of its own muscle protein occurs, which is also accompanied by a decrease in body weight. Usually, it is not difficult for a doctor to diagnose the acute development of the disease – cough, dry or with sputum, pale skin with a bluish tinge, a haggard and thin face, high fever are quite characteristic signs. In addition, with pneumonia, as with other diseases of the respiratory system, there are specific auscultatory signs.

The patient’s condition with pneumonia requires immediate hospitalization and treatment in a hospital, as it poses a threat to the patient’s life.

Infectious lesions of the body as a cause of weight loss

Above we have already talked about HIV infection, in the presence of which a person experiences a sharp, rapid exhaustion and weight loss against the background of other signs. In addition, weight loss can occur with some other infectious diseases, such as:

• with the flu;
• with tuberculosis;
• with infective endocarditis;
• with fungal infections;
• against the background of syphilis;
• due to malaria;
• during typhus;
• with measles and a number of other infectious diseases, accompanied by intoxication of the body or a violation of the water and electrolyte balance.

All of them are formed due to the ingestion of an infectious pathogen, have a certain specificity of manifestations, however, they also have common signs. So, for example, if we are talking about the acute form of the lesion, patients often have fever, headaches, chills, loss of appetite, drowsiness, and lymph nodes may become inflamed. The disease can proceed in a mild form, and then weight loss will be insignificant, and the course will be rapid. If the infected person suffers a moderate or severe lesion, he can lose up to 10% of his weight in just a couple of weeks – such indicators are critical and require mandatory hospitalization.

Usually, after an illness, if the treatment is successful, the weight gradually returns to its previous levels.

Weight loss in newborns: pathology or norm

On average, it is believed that at the birth of a child, his normal weight is from 2500 to 4500 grams. Of course, children are born with smaller and larger indicators, someone has a lack of weight, and someone already on the day of birth is affectionately called a “hero” for their large size. After the birth of the child, they are immediately weighed, and in the future, weighing him in the maternity hospital, and after discharge, at home, should occur approximately 3-5 times a week to track the dynamics of his development and growth.

It happens that already in the first days after the birth of a child, body weight begins to decrease, which causes panic among young mothers. However, a decrease in body weight in a baby shortly after childbirth, most often, is absolutely normal and natural.

The excretory system begins to work in a newborn, as he begins to eat mother’s milk or special mixtures. The baby defecates, sweats, a certain amount of fluid comes out of his body. This is the secret of the sudden weight loss of the baby after childbirth. Pediatricians call this factor natural decline, and say that there is nothing to be afraid of.

The normal weight range for a newborn is 2,5 to 4,5 kilograms. As a result of the release of fluid, the body can lose up to 10% of its mass. The calculation changes somewhat if the baby was initially born with a lack of weight, or the birth was complicated by a birth injury – in this case, a loss of up to 15% of the original weight is allowed.

The maximum weight loss is observed 3-5 days after birth, after which the weight begins to increase. In infants, normalization of mass occurs by about the 14th day of life, in artificially fed children it can last a little longer. The optimal weight gain is 115-125 grams per week. Thus, the rate of weight gain per month after birth for a child is about 500 grams.

To avoid excessive fluid loss and dehydration, young mothers are advised to follow a diet, that is, feed the baby enough times, and also ensure that the temperature in the room where the child is located does not exceed 20-22 degrees. In addition, it is not recommended to wrap the baby in the summer, but dress him according to the weather. Children should be dressed appropriately for the weather. The level of humidity is also important – in the apartment where the baby lives, the air should not be too dry.

It is necessary to monitor the frequency of urination, as well as the consistency of the baby’s stool. If the stool is thick, then the newborn should be given more liquid in the form of purified boiled water, if the pediatrician allows it to be introduced into the diet.

Weight loss screenings

Which doctor should I contact if an inexplicable weight loss is suddenly discovered? First of all, you need to visit a therapist, and take the child or teenager to the pediatrician. To determine the degree of weight loss, the doctor determines the dynamics of loss, the Quetelet body mass index (calculated by the formula: body weight in kg / height in meters squared), and also measures the circumference of the shoulder. So, for example, a body mass index of less than 16 indicates a clear underweight, 16-18,5 indicates underweight. The optimal index values ​​are between 18,5 and 24,99.

The severity of a person’s condition during weight loss, as well as possible causes of weight loss, is determined by the results of laboratory tests – general blood and urine, thyroid hormone levels, blood glucose analysis, liver tests, proteinograms, rheumatic tests, fecal analysis for helminths, and as well as serological and PCR tests for various viruses and infections. The patient will probably need to undergo an examination of the gastrointestinal tract, namely, EGD procedures, abdominal ultrasound, and colonoscopy. To determine the inflammatory processes in the lungs, an overview x-ray of the lungs is prescribed.

Further, depending on the results, the therapist or pediatrician refers the patient to a specialist, for example, a rheumatologist, oncologist, phthisiatrician, infectious disease specialist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, pulmonologist. If there is a suspicion of a mental disorder, a psychiatric examination is necessary.

When to contact a doctor when losing weight

If a person made a conscious decision to lose weight, visited a therapist and nutritionist, chose the right diet for himself, made a plan for sports training, began to adhere to a new lifestyle, most likely he will begin to lose weight. At the same time, in the process of losing weight, it is advisable to see a doctor, periodically take some tests, and if necessary, undergo examinations. In this case, weight loss should be gradual and adequate for the body.

It is necessary to seek medical help if a child or adult has rapid weight loss (more than 5% of body weight per month), if young children have weight in place for more than 2 months, if the state of weight loss is accompanied by any atypical conditions and symptoms. With the development of symptoms such as fever (subfebrile or high), dry or wet cough, skin rashes of any kind and any localization, inflammation of the lymph nodes, pain of any localization, pain and cramps in the stomach after eating, nausea, vomiting, discoloration of feces and vomiting, hair loss, excessive sweating, deterioration of the skin, as well as negative mental changes, behavioral changes and weight loss develops rapidly, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

The process of weight loss is planned and expected when a person goes in for sports, follows the principles of proper nutrition specifically to bring his figure back to normal. Taking certain medications, such as certain antibiotics prescribed by a doctor, may cause loss of appetite or indigestion as side effects, causing him to lose weight. This, of course, is not very good for the body, but if the process occurs under the supervision of the attending physician, then this weight loss is acceptable for a person to recover. When the patient is being prepared for surgery, he needs to follow a diet for some time, so weight loss in such cases is inevitable. It follows from this that weight is an unstable value throughout human life, and can increase or decrease in different situations.

However, if weight loss in children, adults or the elderly occurs suddenly, for no apparent reason, this is a clear sign that non-physiological changes are probably taking place in the body. By itself, weight loss may not give doctors the ability to determine the cause of a health disorder. To diagnose the problem, all accompanying symptoms are studied, the patient’s history is collected, including heredity, previous diseases, the presence of allergies, and a comprehensive examination is performed.

In some cases, timely detection of unexpected weight loss makes it possible to diagnose and detect at an early stage such dangerous diseases as HIV, oncological processes, depression, and thyroid dysfunction.

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