Weight Loss - Unintentional
Alternate Names : Loss of Weight
Definition
Unintentional weight loss is a decrease in body weight that is not voluntary.
Weight loss will occur with decreased food intake, increased metabolism, or both. See also intentional weight loss.
Overview & Considerations
There are many causes of unintentional weight loss including endocrine, gastrointestinal, and psychiatric disorders, as well as nutritional deficiencies, infections, tumors and neurological disorders.
Anorexia nervosa appears almost exclusively in adolescent girls. While many teenagers go through a phase of excess dieting (see intentional weight loss), only a few actually develop anorexia nervosa. Of those who do, up to 15% die from complications of the condition. Anorexic girls tend to come from families that often talk about the "right" amounts or kinds of things to eat, and these girls may use their refusal to eat as a way to manipulate their parents. See also bulimia.
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