Overview

Unintentional weight loss is when you lose weight without changing your diet or exercise routine. It can be a sign of stress or a serious illness. See a GP just in case.

Causes of unintentional weight loss

Unintentional weight loss has many different causes.

It might be caused by a stressful event like a divorce, losing a job, or the death of a loved one. It can also be caused by malnutrition, a health condition or a combination of things.

Some causes of unintentional weight loss include:

• mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• problems with digestion, such as coeliac disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• other health conditions, such as an overactive thyroid, type 2 diabetes or heart failure
• poor nutrition (malnutrition) or lack of appetite, although sometimes weight loss can happen when there's no change to a person's diet or appetite
• side effects of some medicines, such as levothyroxine, which is often used to treat an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

Sometimes weight loss can be caused by cancer. It's important to get it checked if you're losing weight without trying.

See a GP if:

• you keep losing weight without changing your diet or exercise routine

It's important to see a GP as soon as possible if you have weight loss and other symptoms. The earlier the cause is found, the sooner it can be treated.

Treatment for unintentional weight loss

Treatment for unintentional weight loss depends on what's causing it.

A GP will ask about your health and may arrange some tests or scans.

Depending on the possible cause, they may:

• advise you about things you can do to help, such as ways to reduce stress
• recommend treatment for any condition that's causing you to lose weight
• refer you to a specialist