Your ability to maintain your weight and thirst are interconnected. After all, a large portion of your body weight is water. Injuries to your body that result in excessive water loss will reduce your weight and activate your sense of thirst. Excessive thirst along with unintentional weight loss may indicate that you have a serious disease. You should consult your physician about your symptoms.
Diabetes Mellitus
Patients with diabetes mellitus cannot regulate their blood sugar because their pancreases do not make enough insulin. Usually, insulin moves the glucose in blood into cells so it can be burned as fuel for cellular processes. Cells that do not get the sugar they need for fuel must metabolize fats and protein to get energy. When that happens, the diabetes patient loses weight. A high concentration of sugar in the blood makes you thirsty because your body wants to dilute the blood and return the concentration to normal. Another contributing factor to thirst in diabetes patients is the excessive excretion of water that occurs as the kidneys filter out the extra sugar.
Diabetes Insipidus
Diabetes insipidus, often confused with but not related to diabetes mellitus, occurs when the hypothalamus malfunctions or is damaged so that it no longer regulates the kidneys properly. Normally, the kidneys know how much water to filter out of the blood because of the action of a hormone secreted by the hypothalamus called antidiuretic hormone or ADH. When a damaged hypothalamus does not secrete vasopressin, the kidneys continually remove too much water from the blood. On rare occasions, diabetes insipidus may occur because the kidneys do not respond properly to ADH, even though the hypothalamus secretes it normally. Either way, the improper regulation of water by the kidneys causes frequent urination, excessive thirst and unintentional weight loss due to dehydration. According to the Mayo Clinic, severe cases of diabetes insipidus can lead to urine output of up to 15 liters per day, when normal output should not exceed 2.5 liters per day.
Gastrointestinal Disturbances
Excessive thirst and weight loss can result from gastrointestinal disturbances that cause vomiting and diarrhea. The vomiting associated with food poisoning or stomach viruses can prevent you from ingesting water and food, creating intense thirst from dehydration and weight loss from lack of food. Diarrhea can rapidly and dangerously dehydrate your body because your intestines cannot absorb water. This dehydration causes thirst and weight loss.
Sweating
A simple work out can cause an acute instance of excessive thirst and weight loss. In extremely hot and humid conditions, exercise may cause you to sweat profusely. You may be a few pounds lighter after this water loss. Your brain will initiate an extreme thirst to encourage you to replace the water you lost.
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