What Are the Causes of Excessive Weight Loss?

Excessive weight loss is a medical condition that may signal that essential bodily functions are in disarray. There are methods for diagnosing excessive weight loss and how it differs from normal fluctuations in weight.

Identification

• The Mayo Clinic parallels excessive weight loss with "unexplained" weight loss. Meaning, the patient is losing weight without actually attempting to do so. Persistent, unexplained weight loss of more than five percent of your total body weight may be a cause for concern.

Aging

• Food intake and muscle development patterns naturally regress with age. The American Family Physician links excessive weight loss to the "chronic physical and psychiatric disorders" that can affect the elderly.

Malnutrition

• Severely malnourished human bodies turn inward to break down fat and muscle for energy over time. The appearance of malnutrition and excessive weight loss may signal anorexia nervosa or there may be socioeconomic problems that are making it difficult for the person to have access to food.

Disease

• Excessive weight loss is linked to both poor mental and physical health. Severe depression is a leading cause of weight loss. Further, physical ailments like cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis and AIDS carry complications that contribute to weight loss.

Medications and Surgery

• Drugs prescribed to combat various diseases may adversely affect your digestive system. Surgery may be recommended as a means of weight loss for the obese. Unintentional weight loss following other types of surgery may be the result of a poorly performed procedure.