Will high blood sugar cause weight loss?

High blood sugar prevents the acceleration of fat and protein decomposition to replenish energy and heat, causing the body’s carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to be consumed in large quantities, leading to gradual weight loss and reduced resistance. In severe cases, weight loss can reach several tens of pounds, leading to fatigue, weakness, and depression. The longer the illness lasts, the higher the blood sugar, the more severe the condition, and the more obvious the weight loss.

Low-protein diet

The body needs the correct amount of protein, and the intake of the correct amount of protein is essential for body health and comfort. Long-term low-protein diets can lead to malnutrition and various complications. In order to maintain the body’s muscle, tissue repair, various enzymes, blood cells, and other metabolic needs and disease resistance, everyone must ensure an adequate intake of dietary protein.

Poor blood sugar control

This is especially common in patients with long-term type 1 or type 2 diabetes, where there is insufficient insulin in the body to properly utilize glucose in the blood. Since the body always needs energy, if it cannot use glucose, it will consume fat, leading to sudden weight loss.

Medication-induced weight loss

This type of weight loss is often caused by taking medications that enhance metabolism, such as dinitrophenol or thyroid hormone.

Gastrointestinal disorders

Gastrointestinal diseases such as chronic gastritis, digestive ulcers, chronic nonspecific colitis, or gastroparesis can all cause poor eating, digestion, and absorption, leading to malnutrition and weight loss.

Hyperthyroidism

This is an endocrine disorder that causes an increase in metabolism, resulting in increased appetite. However, the body breaks down nutrients excessively, consuming a lot of fat and protein, leading to weight loss, sometimes up to 10 kilograms in a short period. If a patient is emaciated without any apparent cause, this disease is highly likely. Symptoms include increased heart rate, excessive sweating, enlarged thyroid gland in the neck, tremors, and emotional excitement. A few patients may not have an enlarged thyroid gland or only have a mild enlargement, nor show emotional excitement, but the diagnosis can be made through laboratory tests.

Adrenal insufficiency

Some early-stage diabetic patients may only show weight loss, which may be caused by primary adrenal insufficiency, such as adrenal tuberculosis or autoimmune adrenal disease, followed by typical symptoms and signs such as skin and mucosal pigment deposition. When anterior pituitary function declines, secondary adrenal insufficiency occurs, resulting in pale skin.

Chronic infectious diseases, such as elderly tuberculosis or chronic liver disease

Diabetes can cause a decline in the body’s immune system and can be combined with many chronic infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. Due to increased metabolism, weakened digestion and absorption functions, and secondary infections, excessive consumption of nutrients occurs, resulting in significant weight loss. Liver diseases such as cirrhosis and ascites inevitably cause a decrease in synthetic metabolism, an increase in consumption metabolism, and rapid weight loss within a few days. Another hallmark of cirrhosis is fatigue, diarrhea, and other symptoms accompanying weight loss.

How to control high blood sugar in diabetes

• Diet control is fundamental

Diabetes itself is a disorder of sugar metabolism, and energy intake needs to be controlled, otherwise everything is just talk.

• Daily exercise is essential

Modern medicine has found that exercise can not only lower blood sugar, but also improve pancreatic function, increase insulin activity, and increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin.

• Positive attitude is important

Believe it or not, mood can greatly affect pancreatic function. Modern research has found that compared with a depressed mood, a cheerful mood can make a difference of more than 20% in pancreatic function.

• Adjust medication

Some diabetes patients have milder symptoms and can control their blood sugar through diet and exercise. However, when the effect of diet and exercise therapy is not good, medication is needed.

• Increase the frequency of blood sugar monitoring and other tests

When you exceed the blood sugar range set by your doctor, you need to measure your blood sugar every two hours until it returns to normal.

What to pay attention to when blood sugar is high

1. Avoid high-sugar foods, such as various candies and sweets.
2. Reduce fat intake. In addition to limiting animal fat, daily cooking oil should be below 20 grams.
3. Avoid greasy and high-fat foods, such as fried foods, sunflower seeds, peanuts, etc.
4. Avoid foods high in cholesterol, such as animal organs.
5. Choose high-fiber foods, such as coarse grains and high-fiber vegetables.
6. Eat regularly and in moderation, with small meals.