Numerous conditions can cause rapid weight loss in teenagers. According to MayoClinic.com, obesity is a common health problem among American teens. The quest for appearances and a better body drive some teenagers to adopt unhealthy eating habits. In some cases, eating disorders manifest, causing rapid weight loss and numerous other health problems. In other cases, a teenager may develop a disease or a medical condition that causes him to experience rapid weight loss.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is a medical condition that can cause rapid weight loss in teenagers, especially teenage girls. According to the Family Doctor website, hyperthyroidism, also known as overactive thyroid disease, is a condition in which a person's thyroid gland produces excess thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland that is located in the front of the neck, near the Adam's apple. The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism, or the speed of the body's processes. Common signs and symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism include sudden weight loss, rapid heartbeat, increased appetite, anxiety, nervousness, irritability, trembling of the hands and fingers, sweating, changes in menstrual patterns, an enlarged thyroid gland or goiter, muscle weakness, fatigue and depression. The Family Doctor website states that the most common cause of hyperthyroidism is an autoimmune disorder called Graves' disease.
癌症
癌症is a potentially life-threatening disease that can cause sudden weight loss in teenagers. Cancer is collection of over 100 different diseases that can manifest almost anywhere in the body. Cancer occurs when a person's cells begin to grow uncontrollably, forming a mass of cells called a tumor. The Kids Health website states that, although cancer is rare in teens, certain types of cancer tend to manifest in teens more than adults. Osteosarcoma, testicular cancer, Ewing's sarcoma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and rhabdomyosarcomas, or soft tissue tumors, occur more often in children and teenagers than adults. Common signs and symptoms associated with cancer include rapid, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, pain, fever, bowel changes and a persistent cough. According to Cancer.net, most American teens with cancer are treated at pediatric oncology centers that have access to the latest treatments.
Anorexia Nervosa
神经性厌食症是一种饮食失调症，可导致青少年快速减肥。根据克利夫兰诊所 - 在美国前四家医院之一 - 神经性厌食症是一种危及生命的饮食失调症，其中一人忍饥挨饿的自己减肥。当一个人的重量至少有15％不到她的体重正常神经性厌食症的诊断而成。一个人快速减肥的神经性厌食症会导致严重的并发症，包括死亡。克利夫兰诊所指出，尽管神经性厌食症是最常见的十几岁的女孩，十几岁的男孩和成年男性和女性也可以开发这种情况。常见的症状和神经性厌食症相关的症状包括体重迅速下降在几个星期或几个月，奇怪的饮食习惯或惯例，抑郁，焦虑，易怒，经常生病，无价值或绝望的感觉，降低抗寒能力。