Weight loss - unintentional

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Unintentional weight loss is a decrease in body weight that is not voluntary. In other words, you did not try to loss the weight by dieting or exercising.

See: Intentional weight loss

Loss of weight

There are many causes of unintentional weight loss. Some are listed below:

• AIDS
• Cancer
• Depression
• Diarrhea that is chronic (lasts a long time)
• Drugs, including amphetamines, chemotherapeutic agents, laxative abuse, and thyroid medications
• Drug abuse
• Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia
• Hyperthyroidism
• Infection
• Loss of appetite
• Malnutrition
• Manipulative behavior (in children)
• Painful mouth sores, mouth braces, or a loss of teeth that prevent you from eating normally
• Smoking

Note: This list may not be all inclusive

Review Date: 01/22/2007
Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.