Rapid Weight Loss and Diabetes

Learn the connection between rapid weight loss and diabetes, when to seek help, and how to address underlying health concerns.

It’s perfectly normal for weight to fluctuate even in young kids. But if you or someone in your family is losing a significant amount of weight rapidly and for no apparent reason, it might be a warning sign there’s a more significant issue at play. It might be a symptom of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

Life has its ups and downs, and it’s not uncommon for a person’s waistline to follow suit. Weight tends to fluctuate, just like life. For instance, during the holidays, we might find ourselves indulging and imbibing more than usual while sharing merriment with family and friends. Maybe you’ve begun a new fitness routine that is helping you shed some unwanted pounds. Perhaps you’ve entered one of those stressful stretches of life that often curbs a person’s hunger, or you might be battling the flu or other virus that has zapped your appetite.

The thing about most weight loss is that you can almost always pinpoint a reason why it might be happening. Unexplained weight loss is different. It happens without any obvious lifestyle or dietary changes. While a bit of weight might not be a concern, if the loss is significant and you can’t figure out why it’s happening, it’s almost certain that the reason is medical, and it might be due to the development of diabetes.

How much weight are we talking about?

Unexplained weight loss is a noticeable drop in body weight. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s defined as a loss of 10 pounds or 5% of your total body weight in a period of six to 12 months. Again, if you begin working out during this period and lose weight, it’s not unexpected; it’s goal-driven. But if the weight mysteriously drops away, then it could be a sign of diabetes, cancer, thyroid problems, Addison’s disease, and other conditions you want to identify and address as soon as possible. The Cleveland Clinic points out that seeking medical care when you notice unexpected weight loss gives you the best chance of recovery.

How does diabetes cause weight loss?

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are diseases that revolve around the body’s ability to produce and effectively use the hormone insulin. This hormone allows your body to transform glucose (sugar) into the energy it needs to function correctly. In people with Type 1 diabetes, the body cannot produce any insulin. In those with Type 2 diabetes, the body often produces some insulin, but it’s either not enough or the body cannot effectively process it.

In either case, what happens is that your body believes it is being starved for energy. Because sugar cannot effectively enter the body’s cells, the brain looks for a quick way to compensate, and it signals the body to burn fat and muscle rapidly to use it as fuel for the energy required to keep your organs and systems functioning properly.

As your body gobbles up fat and muscle, you start to lose weight and will have no idea why. To make matters worse, because there is excess sugar in your blood (remember, when you have diabetes, the body can’t burn sugar, so it builds up in the bloodstream), the kidneys kick into overdrive to eliminate the excess sugar. This expulsion process requires more energy, which means the body burns more fat and muscle and loses weight even faster.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, this cause of unexpected weight loss is more common in those with Type 1 diabetes, with parents often being the first to notice it in a child.

Weight loss isn’t always a bad sign for those with diabetes

People who have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are usually also battling some related comorbidities, and the most common one of all is obesity. Ironically enough, too much weight gain is the leading contributor to Type 2 diabetes as it negatively impacts the body’s ability to produce and use insulin.

One of the first orders of business given by physicians for many diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is to lose weight through dietary and lifestyle adjustments. This isn’t only good for blood sugar control. Still, it helps minimize the risk of many diabetes-related medical concerns, such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, neuropathy (nerve damage), and vision disorders.

While someone with Type 2 diabetes may experience some initial weight loss due to elevated blood sugar and frequent urination, once the disease is diagnosed and managed, that unhealthy weight loss will stop, and it’s time to make lifestyle choices to begin losing weight properly.

What else could unexpected weight loss mean?

Unfortunately, unexpected weight loss isn’t just a symptom of diabetes; it’s also linked to several other serious conditions. Some causes of rapid weight loss include:

• Cancer
• Celiac Disease
• Crohn’s Disease
• Depression/Anxiety
• Dementia
• Eating Disorders
• Heart Failure
• Hyperthyroidism
• Certain Medications
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Parasitic Infections
• Pancreatitis

When should I see a doctor?

You should make an appointment to see a doctor when you notice rapid, unexpected weight loss in yourself, your child, or someone close to you. The positive side is that a simple blood test is used to diagnose diabetes. The sooner you identify it and begin treating and managing the disease, the better you’ll feel and the healthier you’ll live.

Other tests, such as urine tests, endoscopy, and imaging, can detect other conditions associated with unexpected weight loss. The key is not to put things off. Unexpected weight loss happens for a reason, and it’s not one that you want to ignore. See your doctor ASAP.