Unintentional weight loss is when you lose weight without dieting or increasing physical activity. It may occur following a loss of appetite or when you’re consuming the same amount of calories as usual. Either way, it’s usually a cause for concern.

Unintentional weight loss can be extremely distressing, particularly when you lose a relatively significant amount and don’t know why. Unintentional weight loss could be a sign of serious illness or disease, or it could be something as minor as a stomach virus. Unintentional weight loss is most prevalent in people with pre-existing medical conditions. Some people who experience this symptom suffer from a variety of diseases including cancer, AIDS, and depression.

Unintentional weight loss is often the result of an underlying chronic medical condition. However, short-term illnesses such as influenza or the common cold can also cause weight loss due to abdominal discomfort. Common causes of unintentional weight loss include depression, Diarrhea, oral ulcers, and viral infections, such as the common cold, that can affect appetite.

Other, less common causes of unintentional weight loss include Duodenal Ulcer, cancer, Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), abdominal infection, gastroenteritis, Dementia, Celiac Disease, and HIV or AIDS. Long periods of weight loss can lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition occurs when you aren’t consuming a proper amount of nutrients. This can be especially true for those with a digestive disorder such as celiac disease, which affects how the body absorbs nutrients.

Symptoms of Unintentional Weight Loss
Depending on what caused the weight loss, symptoms vary widely. You may notice a change in the way your clothes fit, or in the shape of your face, since that is an area where many people can see initial weight loss effects. However, some people are unaware that they’ve lost weight until they weigh themselves. Unintentional weight loss due to an illness may occur along with fever, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort or pain, diarrhea, or constipation.

Natural Treatments For Unintentional Weight Loss
One natural way to treat unintentional weight loss is to eat smaller meals more frequently. People who eat large meals usually eat them about three times a day. For people who have unintentional weight loss, the large meals can be overwhelming, and they can be turned off from eating it at all. If food is presented in a small serving, a person will not feel as overwhelmed, and they are more likely to eat the entire meal, which can help promote weight gain along side other treatments. These meals can be a person’s favorite meal, which will also increase the probability of them eating it. You can also try doing strongly flavored foods, because these foods are much more appealing to a person who is having trouble eating.

Natural vitamins and minerals are a good treatment for people who are experiencing unintentional weight loss. These are not medications that can harm the body; rather they are natural supplements and vitamins that provide the body with the nutrients they may be missing from their food. These supplements can give a person energy to eat and promote appetite.