Emergency medical insurance:

Which can hide behind unjustified weight loss

 Quickly get rid of a few pounds ... Some people dream about it. But when this weight loss is completely involuntary, without diet or deprivation, it is best to consult your doctor without delay.

natural weight loss supplements

• index
• Psychological reasons in almost half of the cases
• Manifestation of gastrointestinal or infectious diseases
• Possible hormonal imbalance
• indicator of cancer

Weight balance is a criterion for good health. So any rapid weight gain or loss should be a warning, especially if you do not change your eating habits. Such a sudden asymmetry can indeed be a harbinger of a malfunction in the body or a disease. But since thinness is so lauded in our society, complaining about melting like snow in the sun is almost taboo.

The medical profession considers weight loss satisfactory when you lose 5% of your weight in less than 6 months or 10% of your weight in less than a year, i.e. 5.5kg for a 55kg woman for example.

Psychological reasons in almost half of the cases

"Depression often leads to an appetite disorder," notes Dr. William de Carvalho, a psychiatrist in Paris. While some depressed people turn to food, others lose the joy of eating. Food seems tasteless to them, and the thought of having to eat becomes an insurmountable chore. Hence the sudden weight loss that increases the feeling of extreme exhaustion characteristic of depression.

Why losing weight fast is so risky for your health

Excessive stress also reduces appetite and alters fat storage. This is why some women lose significant weight after giving birth, between a crying baby, family imbalance, lack of sleep, and a return to work to manage. The result: They find themselves slimmer than they were before pregnancy, while the majority of women keep the extra 0.4 to 3 pounds until 12 months postpartum.

Malnutrition caused by anorexia nervosa or repeated bouts of bulimia, followed by regular vomiting, is also the source of rapid weight loss.

Manifestation of gastrointestinal or infectious diseases

Celiac disease, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis often causes weight loss due to accelerated transit (diarrhea) and poor absorption of nutrients in the intestines. In children, a delay in growth and puberty is observed. Stomach ulcers also cast a scale on the scale due to the pain and loss of appetite it causes.

Unexplained weight loss can also indicate a viral or bacterial infection (hepatitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV, etc.). It is also sometimes caused by an intestinal parasite that has returned from a trip abroad, such as a tapeworm, which causes low weight despite a serious increase in appetite.

Possible hormonal imbalance

Insulin-dependent diabetes is often manifested by weight loss and severe dehydration, which leads to heavy drinking and increased urine volume. A thyroid disorder also has implications for weight. If he's running in slow motion (hypothyroidism), "we tend to gain a little weight despite a moderate appetite," notes Dr. Pierre Nice, endocrinologist and author of The IG Thyroid Diet (ed. Leduc.s).

Conversely, when it is flushed out (hyperthyroidism), the excess influx of hormones causes excessive metabolic reactions: the heart pounding, the sweat glands producing too much sweat, transit speeds up, and so on. As a result, "we lose weight even though we're eating more than usual," explains Dr. Nice.

indicator of cancer

Sudden weight loss is one of the first symptoms suggestive of cancer. In fact, 4 out of 10 people diagnosed report significant weight loss in the previous months. A British study from the University of Oxford in April 2018 established this frequent association. By pooling the medical data of 11.5 million patients, researchers have established that weight loss is associated with the incidence of ten types of cancer: lung, kidney, pancreas, stomach, colon, gallbladder, ovaries, prostate, as well as myeloma and non-myeloma. Lymphoma.

It is best not to underestimate the situation. In the event of significant and unplanned weight loss, make an appointment as soon as possible with your doctor so that he can objectively assess the weight loss, determine the cause and refer you to the most appropriate specialist.