The battle against obesity rages on for millions worldwide, with dreams of slimmer figures fueling constant weight-loss efforts.
However, achieving that coveted weight goal, especially as we age, could exact a hefty toll on our health, masking an underlying danger that could affect more than just waistlines.
Rapid Weight Loss Could Signal Early Cancer
It’s well-known that severe diseases like advanced-stage cancers can cause significant weight loss. However, recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that similar levels of weight loss can occur before a cancer diagnosis, even in the early stages of the disease.
The researchers emphasized the importance of these findings, as early detection could help health professionals diagnose cancer sooner, when treatment options are more abundant and effective.
The study analyzed data from two major long-term observational studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, which began in 1976 and involved over 157,000 female nurses aged 30 to 55 at enrollment, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which started in 1986 and included male health professionals between 40 and 75 years old. These studies examined how factors like nutrition, hormones, environment, and work affect health and disease development over time.
Participants self-reported their weight every other year through questionnaires that also inquired about physical activity levels. To assess the participants’ weight-loss behaviors, the researchers asked about dietary changes every four years. These behaviors were then categorized as high (changed diet and exercise), medium (changed only one aspect), or low (no changes made).
10 Percent Weight Drop Raises Next-Year Cancer Risk
The study followed these individuals until 2016, focusing on instances where they experienced weight loss of 10 percent or more.
The findings revealed that participants who lost more than 10 percent of their body weight without dieting or increasing exercise regimens within the previous two years had a higher risk of receiving a cancer diagnosis the following year.
The cancers most strongly associated with this unexplained weight loss were those affecting the upper gastrointestinal tract and blood, colorectal, and lung cancers.
The link between weight loss and gastrointestinal cancers is understandable, as these conditions often interfere with food intake and digestion, Dr. Nathan Berger, an oncologist and professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, told The Epoch Times. “They’re quite obvious.”
Lung cancer, which is not directly associated with issues related to food absorption, is still a type of cancer that “very frequently causes wasting,” Dr. Berger added.
Unintended Weight Loss a Common but Concerning Sign
Unintentional weight loss is very common and can sometimes go unnoticed for several weeks due to its “slow and subtle” nature, Dr. Sandeep Anantha, the director of surgical oncology at Northwell Long Island Jewish in Forest Hills, New York, said.
It typically remains unrecognized “until and unless” someone points it out, saying something like, “Hey, you’ve been losing weight. Are you working out or something?” he added.
The key here is “unintentional.” “Intentional weight loss is good,” he noted. But when weight loss becomes unintentional, it’s a sign that something might be wrong.
Being aware of a 10 percent drop in weight without any intentional efforts is a good rule of thumb, according to Dr. Anantha. “But that being said, if someone loses anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds without an intention, that is alarming, too,” he added.
Weight Loss in Older Adults Signals Higher Mortality Risk
A 2023 study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed data from the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) clinical trial, which annually recorded participants’ weight from 2010 to 2014. The study included almost 20,000 patients from the United States and Australia, all over 65 years old and free from underlying health conditions like dementia, cardiovascular disease, life-limiting chronic illnesses, or recent hospitalizations.
After separating the findings by sex, researchers found that men who lost 5 percent to 10 percent of their body weight experienced a 33 percent higher mortality risk, while a weight reduction exceeding 10 percent nearly tripled the risk at 300 percent.
For women, losing 5 percent to 10 percent of their weight was associated with a 26 percent increased risk of premature death. When weight loss exceeded 10 percent, this figure rose to over 100 percent increased risk.
“Although it is widely acknowledged that weight loss may precede a diagnosis of cancer,” the study authors wrote, “in our study, weight loss also preceded an increased mortality from [cardiovascular disease] and other causes.”
While intentional weight loss is generally seen as a positive trend, people must be aware that even those actively trying to lose weight face a degree of risk, as it can sometimes mask unintentional weight loss associated with an underlying disease, Dr. Anantha said.
“The patients might think, ‘Oh, yeah, this is a good thing. I’m losing weight. Let me continue to do that,’” he said. “That’s why I think unintentional weight loss is very important [to be aware of], especially in this day and age.”