If you're losing abnormal amounts of weight it would be wise to be worried. There are a wide number of potential reasons for it, and it just takes a quick visit to the doctor to determine why it's happening. You may end up malnourished if your body continues to lose weight for a long time, so ideally you want to find out what's happening straight away. Below are some of the potential causes of unexpected weight loss, and they are just a few possible factors that could be the cause for it.

The misuse of drugs or alcohol can be a cause of abnormal weight loss. The appetite can be suppressed by stimulants, like cocaine, and it can also increase the speed of the metabolism resulting in the person losing weight. Very rarely will prescription drugs do the same, however it has been known to happen. Addicts might additionally spend all of their money on buying drugs, forgetting food altogether, which is another possible cause. If somebody is abusing drugs there are usually tell tale signs, however sometimes great lengths will be gone to by the person to try and hide it. So if you suspect this is the case with someone in your life, try to spot other possible symptoms so you can determine if they need help in this area.

1000 Calorie Diet One potential cause of unexplainable weight loss could be hyperthyroidism. Due to the thyroid gland having the job of regulating the metabolism, a faulty gland could cause you to have unexplained weight gain or weight loss. Hypothyroidism, which means your thyroid gland is underactive, often causes weight gain.

However hyperthyroidism is the disorder where the thyroid gland produces too much thyroxin, which brings about many different symptoms, like a quick heard beat, nervousness, insomnia and weight loss. Even for those with big appetites, this condition will cause you to lose weight. Hyperthyroidism can be helped by using some medications, in addition to changing your diet around, so if you feel this might be effecting you, you should talk with your doctor.

Sometimes doctors will give specific medications to help those who've lost too much weight gain it back. If it's a medical cause, treatment will usually allow the body to gain weight again. However, sometimes extra assistance is needed. Patients who have very serious illnesses, like AIDS or cancer, who have lost very large amounts of weight, will be given Recombinant Growth Hormone to try and help them gain more weight. Medications that are used for treating depression may be used as a way of promoting weight gain in those who've lost weight due to depression. Due to these drugs having unwanted side effects, their use for weight gain is only advocated in extreme circumstances.

Identifying the reasons for abnormal weight loss is very important because there are so many potential causes. Whether the cause of abnormal weight loss is psychological or physical, your body must get it's daily nutrients otherwise it won't stay healthy. Only once you have been successful in finding the cause of the weight loss can you think about methods of gaining some weight back.