Unexplained weight loss without effort could be a warning sign of a serious medical condition, according to Dr Nighat Arif, a GP known for appearances on BBC Breakfast and ITV's This Morning.
Patient's excitement raised doctor's concerns
In a recent TikTok video, Dr Arif described a patient who was "so excited" to fit into an old pair of jeans after losing weight. However, the doctor's instincts led her to ask more questions.
"My Spidey-senses started kicking in, and I asked her follow-up questions, because this was something that was just brushed aside," Dr Arif said. The patient believed she was simply eating healthier, but nothing had actually changed in her diet, and the weight was "falling off faster than she can think."
Unintentional weight loss as a warning light
Dr Arif stressed that shedding weight without effort "isn't a win" but rather "a warning light for our body to go 'hang on, something isn't working out'." She explained that unintentional weight loss—dropping more than five per cent of body weight in six to 12 months with zero effort—could indicate conditions such as an overactive thyroid, uncontrolled diabetes, digestive disorders like celiac or inflammatory bowel disease, depression, or even cancer.
Minor issues like stress or a temporary infection could also cause weight loss, but Dr Arif advised patients to inform their doctor if they notice such a drop. She urged people to use the specific phrase "unintentional weight loss" when speaking to their GP and concluded: "If the scales are moving down and you didn't ask it to, please don't brush it off. Get it checked."
