Unexplained weight loss is the term used to describe a decrease in body weight that occurs unintentionally and can be a warning sign of diabetes.
The amount you weigh is determined by a number of factors including age, your calorie intake and overall health.
Once you reach middle adulthood, your weight should remain relatively stable from year to year.
Losing or gaining a few kilograms here and there is normal, but unexplained weight loss that is significant (4.5kg or more or over 5% of your body weight) or persistent may signal an underlying medical condition.
What are the possible causes of unexplained weight loss?
Unintentional or unexplained weight loss can be caused by a number of things, including depression, certain medication and diabetes.
Diabetes and sudden weight loss
In people with diabetes, insufficient insulin prevents the body from getting glucose from the blood into the body’s cells to use as energy.
When this occurs, the body starts burning fat and muscle for energy, causing a reduction in overall body weight.
Unexpected weight loss is often noticed in people prior to a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes but it may also affect people with type 2 diabetes.
Treatment
When you have unexplained weight loss, talk to your doctor first, so that he/she can determine whether the cause of the weight loss is diabetes or not.
Recommendation
If you have diabetes and want to follow the natural route in treating it, the best way will be through diet, exercise and a good supplement like the Manna Blood Sugar Support to help control blood sugar levels and to keep the body’s insulin requirements as low as possible.