Weight Loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine or health or
physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body weight, due to a
mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass,
namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective
tissue.
Intentional weight loss
Weight loss may refer to the loss of total body mass in an effort to
improve fitness, health, and/or appearance.
Therapeutic weight loss, in individuals who are overweight, can
decrease the likelihood of developing diseases such as diabetes.[4]
Overweight and obese individuals face a greater risk of health
conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, osteoarthritis[5] and certain types of cancer. For
healthy weight loss, a physician should be consulted to develop a
weight loss plan that is tailored to the individual.
Weight loss occurs when an individual is in a state of negative
energy balance. When the human body is spending more energy in work
and heat than it is gaining from food or other nutritional
supplements, it will catabolise stored reserves of fat or muscle.
Although weight loss may involve loss of fat, muscle or fluid,
weight loss for the purposes of maintaining health should aim to
lose fat while conserving muscle and fluid.
It is not uncommon for people who are already at a medically healthy
weight to intentionally lose weight. In some cases it is with the
goal of improving athletic performance or to meet weight
classifications in a sport. In other cases, the goal is to attain a
more attractively shaped body. Being underweight is associated with
health risks. Health problems can include difficulty fighting off
infection, osteoporosis, decreased muscle strength, trouble
regulating body temperature and even increased risk of death.
Unintentional weight loss
A significant loss of total body weight is a serious, chronic
illness. Substantial, unintentional weight loss is a symptom of
acute or chronic illness, especially if other evidence is present.
Weight loss, for example, accompanied by early satiety, bilious
vomiting of partially undigested food, postprandial epigastric pain
and eructation may indicate Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome.
Weight loss accompanied by insatiable thirst and hunger and fatigue
may indicate diabetes mellitus, a chronic disease characterized by
an abnormal accumulation of carbohydrates in the bloodstream due to
insufficient production of insulin, a hormone produced in the
pancreas that, when secreted into the bloodstream, permits cellular
metabolism and utilization of glucose.
Poor management of type 1 diabetes mellitus, also known as
insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), leads to an excessive
amount of glucose and an insufficient amount of insulin in the
bloodstream. This triggers the release of triglycerides from adipose
(fat) tissue and catabolism (breakdown) of amino acids in muscle
tissue. This results in a loss of both fat and lean mass, leading to
a significant reduction in total body weight. Note that untreated
type 1 diabetes mellitus will usually not produce weight loss, as
these patients get acutely ill before they would have had time to
lose weight.
Myriad of additional scientific considerations are applicable to
weight loss, including but not limited to: physiological and
exercise sciences, nutrition science, behavioral sciences, and other
sciences.
One area involves the science of bioenergetics including biochemical
and physiological energy production and utilization systems, that is
frequently evidence of diabetes, and ketone bodies, acetone
particles occurring in body fluids and tissues involved in acidosis,
also known as ketosis, somewhat common in severe diabetes.
In addition to weight loss due to a reduction in fat and lean mass,
illnesses such as diabetes, certain medications, lack of fluid
intake and other factors can trigger fluid loss. And fluid loss in
addition to a reduction in fat and lean mass exacerbates the risk
for cachexia.
Infections such as HIV may alter metabolism, leading to weight loss.
Hormonal disruptions, such as an overactive thyroid
(hyperthyroidism) , may also exhibit as weight loss
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