The document discusses weight loss, defining it as a sudden loss of 5-15% of body weight, often caused by psychological factors such as stress and depression, leading to various health complications. It outlines the classification of weight loss into targeted and non-targeted, describing associated physiological and pathological factors, and emphasizes the importance of medical consultation for unexplained weight loss. Treatment involves addressing underlying causes with high-calorie diets, medications, and professional support to restore the patient's health and well-being.

1. Weight loss
Table of contents
● Weight loss - description
● Classification
● Complications of the disease
● Diagnostics
● Treatment
Weight loss is weight loss within 5-15% of the original value in a short time. A
person can suddenly lose weight dramatically with the development of various
pathologies, in stressful situations or with malnutrition.
To find out the cause of rapid weight loss, advanced diagnostics are carried
out. To restore metabolism and return normal body weight, a high-calorie diet
is made for the patient and medicines are selected.
Weight loss - description
The human body is an interconnected mechanism. Even minor stress
negatively affects the psychological state and provokes a malfunction in the
internal systems. Sometimes from prolonged stress, the functioning of the
gastrointestinal tract is disrupted, the condition of the hair and well-being
worsens. Stress, depression, neurosis - such problems can lead to loss of
appetite and insufficient absorption of nutrients from food.
Stress weight loss is common. Some people, faced with psychological
problems, long and unsuccessfully try to lose weight. Others, on the contrary,
do not know how to deal with sudden weight loss and exhaustion of the body.
Sometimes, against the background of a weakened immune system,
endocrine diseases develop, as a result of which it is problematic for the
patient to gain even 1 kg.
Why does weight loss occur with neurosis and stress? Nervous shock, even
short-term, leads to increased calorie consumption. Chronic stress, with which
some people live for years without even suspecting that they have a
psychological disorder, negatively affects metabolism every day.
If the impact of psychological factors is not minimized, then the patient
subsequently develops anorexia or exhaustion of the whole organism occurs.

2. Stress is accompanied by muscle spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, which
interferes with normal digestion and adversely affects appetite. As a result, the
body receives less useful elements and vitamins. It is the loss of appetite that
is considered one of the main reasons for losing weight under stress.
Another pathological condition that contributes to weight loss is depression.
Any one reason rarely leads to its development, usually it is a combination of
several factors: genetics, lifestyle, etc. The likelihood of experiencing
depression increases if the patient had a difficult childhood or tragic events
occurred in his life. A somatic ailment, for example, Parkinson's disease, can
also lead to the development of a pathological condition. In some patients, the
use of psychoactive substances, alcoholic beverages, or certain medications
contributes to the manifestation of symptoms of depression.
The patient has problems with sleep, appetite disappears, stool is disturbed.
In such situations, a maximum weight loss of 5% of the total weight within 30
days is considered acceptable. Also, depression is characterized by a
breakdown and loss of interest in life. In some patients, the situation is exactly
the opposite, they have a "bestial" appetite, increased sleep duration and
increased weight.
Psychomotor retardation is characterized by poor and sluggish speech,
thinking slows down, the skin becomes painfully white. It is difficult for the
patient to formulate his own thoughts. With neurosis, the clinical picture of the
disease includes weight loss.
They develop as a result of protracted conflicts, psychological trauma, severe
emotional overstrain, etc. The physiological basis for the development of
pathology is represented by the weakness of the neurophysiological system.
Weight loss is considered a physical manifestation of neurosis. In addition, the
patient has severe fatigue, problems with appetite, pain of various etiologies,
sleep disorders, etc.
Neurosis negatively affects the psyche of the patient. Often a person at the
level of fanaticism begins to adhere to different diets or refuse food altogether,
because. intolerance to certain smells and tastes. Pain and the urge to vomit
at the sight of food can be triggered by both mental disorders and pathologies
of the gastrointestinal tract, aggravated by neurosis.
Classification
Weight loss can be roughly divided into 2 categories: targeted weight loss and
non-targeted weight loss. In the first case, we are talking about losing weight

3. after a diet, intense physical exertion, fasting, or taking dubious drugs that
promise to give a slim figure in a short time.
The second type of weight loss is diagnosed if a person has not taken any
action to change the number on the scales. In this case, weight loss is
associated with the development of various ailments or physiological
conditions (for example, pregnancy).
Also, weight loss is divided into:
physiologically natural (in people who constantly play sports, limit themselves
in nutrition, in newborns);
pathological (associated with diseases or taking certain medications).
Doctors assure that weight loss should be additionally divided into normal
(does not harm the health of the patient) and dangerous (weight loss is very
fast, which causes a strong blow to health). It is difficult to name any specific
indicators, since these figures are individual for each person. It all depends on
the initial data, age, the presence of chronic ailments, etc.
Also, weight loss can be gradual (if the patient adheres to a diet designed to
lose 4-5 kg ​
​
in 30 days) or sharp (a person gets rid of up to 10 kg per week).
Depending on the rate of weight loss, 3 stages of severity are distinguished:
● mild: in 6 months a person loses less than 5% of the total weight;
● medium: in six months the patient loses weight by more than 5%;
● severe: progressive weight loss of more than 10% in 6 months.
A severe degree of deviation poses a serious threat to life and is an indication
for intensive care.
Complications of the disease
The main complication with large weight loss is cachexia (extreme exhaustion
of the body). Such a state entails a number of negative consequences:
● weakening of the immune system;
● loss of libido (in men);
● heart failure;
● failure of the menstrual cycle;
● muscle spasms;
● arrhythmia;
● disability;
● trophic changes in nails and hair.

4. If a person decides to get rid of excess weight, consults a therapist and a
nutritionist, chooses the right nutrition, draws up a training regimen, then with
a probability of 95% he will gradually begin to lose weight. At the same time, in
the process of fighting for a slim figure, it is recommended to constantly be
observed by a doctor and periodically take tests so that weight loss goes
naturally and without harm to the body.
You need to seek medical help if there is a sharp weight loss (more than 5% of
the total weight in less than 30 days) or weight loss is accompanied by
atypical conditions. If you experience symptoms such as fever, pain, skin
rashes, nausea, changes in behavior, rapid weight loss, you should
immediately visit a doctor.
Weight loss can be planned when a person is exercising, sticking to PR, etc.
When taking certain medicines prescribed by a doctor, a side effect such as
loss of appetite may occur. As a result, the patient begins to lose weight
rapidly. This also negatively affects the body, but such processes take place
under the supervision of a specialist, therefore they are considered
acceptable.
However, when there is weight loss for no reason, this is a clear signal that not
everything is in order in the body. By itself, weight loss is not considered a
specific symptom that will help doctors make a diagnosis. But it will allow you
to identify the problem at an early stage and choose an effective treatment.
Diagnostics
If weight loss occurs for no apparent reason, then you should go for a
consultation with a therapist. The doctor will prescribe a comprehensive
examination, which will exclude the most common pathologies accompanied
by the patient's weight loss. Most often, the following methods are used as
part of the diagnosis:
1. Blood analysis. General and biochemical analysis will help to identify
non-specific symptoms of inflammation, such as leukocytosis. To
exclude diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the levels of digestive
enzymes are measured.
2. Hormonal profile. To begin with, a standard plasma test for glucose and
insulin levels is performed to confirm type 1 diabetes mellitus. If weight
loss is combined with the clinical picture of thyrotoxicosis, then the
concentrations of T3 and T4 in the blood are measured.
3. ultrasound. To confirm or refute the presence of gastroenterological
diseases, an ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity is

5. performed. During the examination, the specialist pays attention to the
structure of the organ, defects in the intestinal wall, etc. Ultrasound of
the thyroid gland can rule out hyperthyroidism.
4. Instrumental visualization. If ultrasound showed pathology, then EGDS,
colonoscopy and x-ray of the digestive tract are additionally prescribed.
If damage to the pituitary gland is suspected, an x-ray of the Turkish
saddle, MRI and CT of the brain is performed.
5. Additional surveys. In case of pain in the teeth, it is recommended to
visit the dentist and take an x-ray of the jaw. If weight loss is
accompanied by mental disorders, then an examination by a neurologist
and a psychotherapist is required. To confirm infection as the cause of
sudden weight loss, stool and serological reactions are analyzed.
Treatment
Faced with the problem of weight loss, in no case should you self-medicate. A
similar symptom indicates the development of pathological processes in the
body. If the patient has lost more than 15% of the total mass or weight loss is
accompanied by a sharp deterioration in well-being, then an urgent need to
consult a doctor. Until the cause of the deviation is clarified, the patient is
prescribed high-calorie nutrition and non-specific symptomatic medications.
This will improve metabolism, normalize weight and restore physical fitness,
but the disease itself cannot be cured in this way.
The course of therapy depends on the pathology that provoked a sharp weight
loss, but in any situation, the patient must ensure that a sufficient amount of
vitamins and nutrients enter the body. If a person can eat on their own, then
they make up a diet. Patients in serious condition are fed through a tube,
additionally introducing a glucose solution. In addition to the high-calorie
menu, a number of medicines are prescribed:
1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are prescribed for various
pathologies. To minimize their negative impact on the gastrointestinal
mucosa, selective inhibitors are used.
2. Antibiotics. Effective in bacterial pathologies of any form. The drug is
selected individually after bacteriological culture analysis and microflora
sensitivity testing.
3. Antiseptics. Rinses with chlorhexidine or miramistin remove pathogenic
microorganisms in the oral cavity, clean teeth. This speeds up the
recovery process for stomatitis and gum damage.

6. 4. Hormones. Dangerous weight loss in thyroid pathologies is treated with
thyroxine antagonists, which inhibit hormone production. In severe
diabetes mellitus, short-acting or long-acting insulin is used.
5. Enzymes. In chronic pancreatitis, enzymatic agents are prescribed in
combination with bile acids. This combination of drugs improves
digestion and absorption of beneficial elements.
6. Antidepressants. If weight loss occurs against the background of
depression, then the patient is selected for serotonin receptor agonists.
Medications put the emotional background in order and revive interest
in life.
Patients with neuropsychiatric disorders additionally require the help of a
psychotherapist. The specialist will help to identify the root cause of the
disease, eliminate the negative symptoms and return the person to normal life.
Prevention or advice in case of illness
The main preventive measure for sudden weight loss is the prevention of
pathologies that can provoke such a deviation. To do this, it is necessary to
timely undergo diagnostics and treat somatic or neurological diseases, as well
as avoid emotional overstrain and physical overwork.
So that later you do not have to purposefully fight excess weight, it is
recommended to adhere to proper nutrition, introduce healthy and healthy
dishes into the diet, exercise in doses and get rid of bad habits.