Eating normally and having standard habits means that we have a “healthy” body with an unchanged weight. Due to conditions, parasites, organ problems or cancer, weight can suddenly decrease significantly, causing us to lose a lot of weight. The problem is often that we have much less energy and are constantly tired. What causes excessive weight loss and which diseases lead to unusually high weight loss?
Strong weight loss
- No reason to lose weight!
- A parasite
- Intestinal disorders
- Overactive organs
- Cancer as an energy consumer
- Medical check-up in case of severe weight loss
No reason to lose weight!
People who are not on a diet or have not changed their lifestyle should normally have a relatively stable body weight. People eat normally and this means that the energy level in the body is unchanged. It can happen that people eat normally and lose weight from one moment to the next. What could be the causes of this?
A parasite
By ingesting spoiled, undercooked meat or fish contaminated with eggs, a parasite can enter the body. The most impressive parasite is the tapeworm. It attaches to the intestinal wall, where the worm’s skin absorbs nutrients. Regardless of whether the person consumes sufficient nutrition, he or she will continue to lose weight. The length of the worm gradually increases. If you have small white moving particles in your stool, you definitely have worms. It is important to take an anti-worm treatment. Go to your doctor for this. Please note that if a tapeworm is actually fully grown, it will be difficult to remove it. The person can then lose a lot of weight.
Intestinal disorders
There are various possible problems with the intestines, which disrupt the digestion of food. Inflammations can affect the intestinal wall, resulting in no energy. Consider Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, which can cause bleeding, ulcers and fistulas. In the case of dysentery, there is a bacillus infection, which affects the intestinal mucosa and the intestinal wall. This infection is extremely contagious and occurs in less clean parts of the world. It leads to red discharge or very loose stools with a lot of blood, with a tendency to defecate every hour. If this is not treated in time with a long-term course of antibiotics in isolation, it will lead to death. You can usually tell from the stool whether the body has certain problems. Dark, tender pieces of feces may indicate bleeding in the small intestine, while a red color may indicate wounds in the colon or rectum.
Overactive organs
The organs in the body are responsible for essential body processes so that we have viability. It is essential that these organs function normally and do not exhibit abnormal activities. Organs are overly stimulated due to deformities, abnormalities or excessive intake of the wrong substances. It can lead to significant unwanted weight loss.
Overactive thyroid
This organ releases metabolic hormones, so that we have a certain stable weight. If the thyroid gland works too fast, the metabolic processes, as it were, rush. As a result, the person may be agitated, trembling, or have too little weight. Despite what one eats, weight remains relatively low.
Liver by alcohol
If you consume large amounts of alcohol, the liver will be overactive. Many sugars are removed from the body, resulting in much less energy. Because insulin resistance can also occur, the feeling of hunger decreases. The combination ensures that people continue to drink alcohol, eat little and therefore lose a lot of weight.
Liver and spleen in blood disorders
The lifeblood of the body is the blood. It consists of red and white blood cells with platelets and plasma. Plasma transports blood cells, platelets help it clot, red blood cells transport oxygen and white blood cells help the immune system. Blood disorders can occur in different variants. If there are too many blood cells of one type, causing other blood cells to not work properly (for example, leukemia), this must be corrected. In addition, waste products may be excessively present in the body. The blood purifiers, the spleen and liver, have to work overtime in both cases, causing the person to have much less energy and lose weight.
Cancer as an energy consumer
Having cancer is a very traumatic circumstance for the body. Cancer cells use accelerated glucolysis, where stored glucose is used at a rapid pace for cancer cell growth. Compared to normal healthy body cells, cancer cells require up to 200 times more energy per unit time (lit.1). In other words, cancer is a serious drain on the available energy supply. It leads to excessive or severe weight loss, which is also accompanied by other complaints. Think of loss of strength, fainting, excessive night sweats, nausea, dizziness and painful complaints. This can involve various types of cancer, which sometimes also act as a silent killer.
Medical check-up in case of severe weight loss
Please note that the above is just a selection of the various possibilities why people potentially lose a lot of weight. Excessive and rapid unexplained weight loss should always be monitored. If in doubt, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination, as several serious conditions or diseases may be the cause.
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