A doctor says losing weight unexpectedly is a ‘red flag’ which should be investigated immediately. Dr Amir Khan, a practising GP and best-selling author, urged people not to ignore it if it is happening to them.
He highlighted a number of illnesses and conditions of which losing weight could be a symptom. These include things like diabetes, an overactive thyroid, and even cancer.
Dr Khan, who is also a regular on ITV morning television giving medical advice, said ‘unexplained weight loss is always a red flag symptom’ and it should ‘always be checked’.
What did he say?
Dr Khan said: “If you’re dropping weight without trying, don’t ignore it. It could be:
- An overactive thyroid. Your metabolism goes into overdrive, causing rapid weight loss, palpitations, anxiety, and sweating. A simple blood test can help confirm it.
- Diabetes, especially type-one but also uncontrolled type-2. High blood sugar leads to glucose loss in the urine, leading to muscle breakdown, and dehydration. Classic symptoms are thirst, peeing a lot, and weight loss.
- Cancers. Tumours can burn calories, and they can also release inflammatory markers or block the body’s nutrient absorption. This is especially true for gut cancers, lymphoma, and pancreatic cancer.
- Chronic infections like TB or HIV. These trigger something called ketabolism. This is the breakdown of fat and muscles for energy. So if you’ve got nightsweats, fevers, or a persistent cough, don’t ignore it.
- Gut absorption issues, like coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease. If your gut can’t absorb nutrients, your body literally starves. Look for bloating, diarrhea, fatigue, low iron or B12 levels.
“Remember, unexplained weight loss is always a red flag symptom and should always be checked.”
Is it serious?
Many of the illnesses listed by Dr Khan are serious. An overactive thyroid – also known as hyperthyroidism – is where the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormones.
The NHS says this can ‘cause unpleasant and potentially serious problems that may need treatment‘, and it is about 10 times more common in women than men, and typically happens between 20 and 40 years of age. As well as weight loss, symptoms include mood swings, tiredness and sleep problems, heat sensitivity, a swollen neck, and twitching or trembling.
If you have any symptoms, you should see a GP. A blood test can often confirm the diagnosis. Treatment includes medicine that slows the thyroid gland, which is in your neck. There is also radioiodine treatment, which destroys cells in the thyroid gland, or surgery to remove part or all of the gland.
Diabetes is also serious as it leads to too much sugar in your blood. If you have type 1 diabetes, your blood sugar is too high because your body can’t make a hormone called insulin. Fewer than one in 10 diabetes sufferers have it.
Type-2 diabetes is high blood sugar levels due to your body not making enough of a hormone called insulin, or the insulin it makes not working properly. Diabetes can lead to heart disease and stroke, kidney issues, and eye and foot problems.
There are more than 385,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in the UK every year, with 167,000 deaths from the disease over the same time period. Its survivability rate overs at around 50 per cent, although this varies from cancer to cancer. Around 38 per cent of all cancers are thought to be preventable.
TB (tuberculosis) is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that most often affects the lungs and can be fatal if left untreated. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which is also fatal.
Coeliac disease is a condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten. This damages your gut (small intestine) so your body cannot properly take in nutrients, explaining the weight loss. It can be extremely uncomfortable and unpleasant.
inflammatory bowel disease is a term used to describe conditions that cause severe tummy pain and diarrhoea. It is not the same as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.