Online Reporter
Dr Tendai Zuze
Health Matters
A LOT of times, losing weight is a good thing.
However, for older adults, losing weight without trying is often a danger sign. In Zimbabwe, this problem is common, but frequently ignored, especially in elderly people living in rural areas or being cared for at home.
When someone over 60 starts losing weight without changing their diet or doing more physical work, it is not normal ageing. It usually means the body is fighting an illness.
Unexplained weight loss means a person is becoming thinner without intending to. Clothes become loose, belts need tightening, and relatives may notice the face looking sunken. Even a small amount of weight loss over two or three months can be serious in an older person.
There are many possible causes. These include cancers, long-standing infections such as tuberculosis, kidney or liver disease, diabetes, and sometimes depression. In older people, these illnesses may develop slowly and quietly. Someone may still be walking around and talking normally while the disease continues to grow inside.
Weight loss becomes more worrying when it comes together with other changes. These may include poor appetite, feeling tired all the time, fever, night sweats, dark urine, abdominal discomfort, or new problems with passing urine in men. Many men assume urinary symptoms are just “prostate problems” and delay seeking help, yet infections or cancers may be present.
One reason these illnesses are missed is that older people may not feel much pain. Serious disease can exist without severe discomfort. Because of this, families may delay bringing their loved ones to the clinic until the condition is advanced.
Medical care should be sought early when weight loss continues for several weeks, when fever appears, when urine becomes dark or bloody, or when appetite does not improve. Going to a local clinic or hospital early allows simple tests like urine tests, blood tests, or scans to be done. These tests can detect serious problems before it is too late.
Delaying treatment is dangerous. Many conditions can be treated successfully if found early, but become difficult and costly to manage when discovered late.
Families and caregivers are very important. If an elderly person is eating less, becoming thinner, or losing strength, they should be encouraged to seek medical attention, even if they say they feel fine.
The message is clear: losing weight without trying is not normal in old age. It is a warning sign that should never be ignored.
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