If you’ve ever noticed a sudden drop in weight after an illness, you’ve experienced unintentional weight loss fluctuation. But if you can’t point to something that may he caused the change on the scale, losing weight without trying or unexplained weight loss can be very scary.
Unintentional weight loss refers to a reduction in body weight that occurs without conscious effort or intention, says Carlo Manzana, M.D., a family medicine physician with PlushCare. “From a medical standpoint, this is typically characterized by a significant and rapid decrease in weight, usually around 5% of total body weight within a span of six to 12 months.”
Meet the Experts: Lydia C. Alexander, M.D., chief medical officer at Enara Health and president-elect of the Obesity Medicine Association; Mir Ali, M.D., bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center; Linda Anegawa, M.D., F.A.C.P., a double board-certified physician in internal medicine and obesity medicine and former medical director at PlushCare; and others.
It is normal for weight to fluctuate, typically between five to 10 lbs, and can be due to how much you’re eating, drinking, and moving in a given time period, explains Mir Ali, M.D., bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center. But any more than that, and you hen’t changed your diet, it could be a sign of something bigger, he adds.
In fact, unexplained weight loss could be an early sign of a serious health condition, says Kerry Hildreth, M.D., an assistant professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Colorado. So if you’re experiencing unexplained weight loss, it’s best to see a doctor. They can then ask questions associated with the symptoms and potentially perform a blood test or imaging test depending on your symptoms, says Linda Anegawa, M.D., F.A.C.P., a double board-certified physician in internal medicine and obesity medicine and former medical director at PlushCare.
Here, doctors share the health issues that could explain why you’re losing weight so suddenly.
What causes unexplained weight loss?