Weight loss is usually considered a good thing, unexpected and extreme weight loss can be a sign of something in your body going very wrong. There could be some underlying issues that are causing your body to pull weight and nutrition from your muscles and body fat to keep you going. As you grow old, your limbs grow weaker, and same for your muscles, so you do lose some weight as you age, but losing a lot of it too quickly could be a sign of something much worse, Dementia. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open 2025 Cardiometabolic Trajectories Preceding Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals, has identified potential early indicators of dementia, including significant weight loss and specific digestive changes, appearing years before noticeable cognitive decline.

The study showed that people who later got dementia had their Body Mass Index, or BMI, go down faster than those who stayed healthy. BMI is a way to see if someone's weight is healthy for their height. This drop in BMI started happening many years before they were told they had dementia, sometimes as early as 11 years ago. Also, these people often started with a lower BMI to begin with. So, even though everyone's weight might change a little as they get older, the people who developed dementia had a much bigger and faster weight loss.

What Are Some Other Indicators Of Dementia?

Along with their BMI, the size of their waist also changed. People who ended up with dementia had smaller waist sizes, and this difference was noticeable about 10 years before they were diagnosed. This means that their bodies were changing in ways that showed up long before they or their doctors noticed any problems. So, not only was there weight loss, but also a loss of abdominal fat. This measurement is important because fat around the waist can be related to other health issues.

The study also found changes in their blood. Specifically, the "good" cholesterol, called HDL, went up in people who developed dementia. This increase happened about five years before they were diagnosed. It's tricky because HDL is usually seen as a good thing for your heart. But in this case, it seems like it might be a sign of changes happening in the brain. Scientists are still trying to understand why this happens.

Weight Loss Doesn’t Cause Dementia, Dementia Causes Weight Loss

When we see that people with dementia lose weight, it's easy to think that the weight loss is what caused dementia. But experts think it's the other way around. They call this "reverse causation." This means that the brain changes that cause dementia also cause people to lose weight. The brain changes can affect things like appetite, how the body uses food, and how people go about their daily lives. For example, people might forget to eat, have trouble making meals, or move around less.

While the study revealed a lot about different indicators of dementia and bodily changes, there are many limitations to the study. Everyone loses some weight as they get older. So, it's hard to know when weight loss is just a normal part of aging and when it's a sign of dementia. The study found that people with dementia lost weight faster, but it's still tricky to tell the difference in everyday life. Doctors need to look at other things, like memory tests, to figure out if someone's weight loss is a cause for concern.

If someone is losing weight without trying, and they're also having problems with their memory or thinking, it's important to talk to a doctor. It's not just about the weight loss; it's about the whole picture.

For many individuals, the most frustrating part of weight loss is not the effort; it is the lack of results. Strict diets are followed, workouts are consistent, and routines are maintained with discipline, yet the scale refuses to move in a meaningful way. What appears, on the surface, to be a failure of method is often a reflection of how the body is designed to respond.

Weight loss process explained

Dr V G Mohan Prasad, M.D., D.M. (Gastro), FASGE, FRCP(E), FICP, FSGEI, Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist & Therapeutic Endoscopist, VGM Hospital, Tamil Nadu, in an interaction with Health and Me, said, "Weight loss is not a straightforward process of cutting calories. When food intake is reduced, the body does not simply comply; it adapts. Metabolism slows down, energy is conserved, and hunger signals become stronger. Over time, particularly in those who have gone through repeated cycles of dieting, the body becomes more efficient at holding on to energy. This adaptive response can create a situation where effort continues, but progress stalls."

At the same time, fat loss does not occur uniformly. Certain areas of the body, especially abdominal fat, are more resistant due to hormonal influences. This often leads to a mismatch between internal metabolic improvements and visible physical changes, making it seem as though nothing is working, even when the body is undergoing shifts beneath the surface.

The role of metabolic health

Metabolic health also plays a defining role. Two individuals following identical routines can have very different outcomes depending on factors such as insulin sensitivity, muscle composition, and inflammation levels. In some cases, underlying medical conditions or long-term medication use can further complicate the process, making conventional approaches less effective.

The ideal weight loss strategy

What this highlights is a need to move beyond standardised weight-loss strategies. When the body resists, simply intensifying effort is rarely the solution. Instead, it calls for a more targeted and individualised approach that takes these biological responses into account.

This is where advancements in medical science are beginning to bridge the gap. Alongside lifestyle changes, minimally invasive procedures using endoscopic techniques through the mouth, thereby obviating the need for surgery, are increasingly being used to support individuals who struggle despite sustained efforts. Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), for instance, works by reducing stomach volume and delaying the emptying of the stomach, helping individuals feel full sooner and sustain dietary changes over time. Another endoscopic technique is the placement of an intragastric balloon in the stomach, which promotes portion control and supports behavioural modification.

For those who have previously undergone bariatric surgery and are experiencing weight regain, endoscopic transoral outlet reduction (TORe) helps restore satiety by reducing the size of the gastric outlet.

These interventions are not designed to replace healthy habits but to work alongside them, particularly in cases where biological resistance makes progress difficult. They reflect a broader shift in how weight management is being understood—not as a one-size-fits-all process, but as something that requires alignment between effort and how the body responds.

Failure to lose weight is a reminder that the body is not a simple system and that effective solutions must take its complexity into account.

The brain is a crucial component of the human body. It is an integral part of the whole system, but when the body ages, the brain does too. The brain is the organ that plays a big role in the aging process. The brain protein is an important component of the body, and can positively impact inflammation, memory decline, and other age-related changes.

A recent study conducted by PLOS Biology claims that the brain protein Menin loss can be crucial to inflammation, memory decline, and other age-related changes. The researchers in the study used mice as test subjects and tried to restore the very protein in them, which worked marvelously; aging conditions were completely reversed.

The study found that aging can be highly influenced by the hypothalamus, a strong brain region that regulates metabolism, hormones, body temperature, sleep, and stress responses. According to the researchers, the hypothalamus is a central command centre for aging.

The research was done by Lige Leng and colleagues at Xiamen University in China and mainly focused on the Menin. They intended to see what the impact would be if someone lost this very important protective protein. The study on mice shows that when Menin levels drop in the hypothalamus, it causes faster aging.

The study specifically used young mice and reduced menin levels; as a result, they faced brain inflammation, thinning skin, lower bone mass, impaired balance, memory problems, and a shorter lifespan. Thus, the conclusion of the research was that menin is likely to act as an anti-aging component in the body.

How Much Protein Do You Really Need?

Your protein needs aren’t one-size-fits-all. They depend on several factors: your weight, age, physical activity, body composition goals, and overall health status.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for the average adult is 0.36 grams per pound (0.8 grams per kilogram) of body weight. This amount is to meet basic nutritional needs in most sedentary adults.

However, experts suggest that physically active people often need more, anywhere from 0.54 to 0.9 grams per pound (1.2–2 grams per kilogram) per day. Athletes may even require higher amounts to support muscle repair and performance.

Certain groups, such as pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, older adults, and people recovering from illness or injury, also have increased protein needs. For example, during pregnancy, the recommendation rises to about 0.5 grams per pound (1.1 grams per kilogram).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco use kills over 8 million people globally each year, including non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.

India continues to face a massive burden of tobacco addiction. Cigarettes, bidis, gutka, pan masala and khaini continue to affect millions, including young adults. This year’s WHO theme- “Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction” focuses on how flavoured products, attractive packaging and social media marketing are making nicotine products appealing to the younger generation.

Tobacco damages nearly every organ in the body. It is strongly linked to cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, lungs, food pipe and bladder. In India, oral cancer remains one of the commonest cancers, largely driven by smokeless tobacco use. Tobacco also increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, chronic lung disease, infertility and poor immunity.

Many people mistakenly believe that e-cigarettes and vaping are “safe alternatives.” However, e-cigarettes still contain addictive nicotine and harmful chemicals that can damage the lungs and cardiovascular system. They may also act as a gateway to conventional tobacco use among teenagers and young adults. Recognising these risks, India banned the production, sale and advertisement of e-cigarettes under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019.

The encouraging fact is that quitting works at any age. Within weeks of stopping tobacco, blood pressure and lung function begin to improve, while long-term risks of cancer and heart disease reduce significantly.

Simple Steps To Quit Tobacco

* Fix a quit date and inform family and friends.

* Identify triggers such as stress, tea, alcohol or social gatherings.

* Avoid keeping tobacco products nearby.

* Stay physically active and hydrated.

* Seek professional counselling if cravings are severe.

* Nicotine replacement therapy or prescribed medications may help selected individuals.

* Remember that relapses can happen and restarting the quit journey is still progress.

World No Tobacco Day is not just about awareness but is a call to action. Choosing to quit today may be the single most important decision for a healthier and longer life.

(Dr Akshat Malik, Senior Consultant, Head & Neck Oncology, Apollo Hospital, Delhi)