I am a 23 year old female who has had well-controlled type 1 diabetes for 15 years, but for the past three years, I have been losing weight very badly and have become bony. Why am I losing weight? I do have frequent hypos.

What is your level of nutrition? In other words, do you eat well? Poor control of blood sugars may be another reason for weight loss in a person with type 1 diabetes, but it sounds like your sugars are well controlled.

Do you get a test called a hemoglobin A1c? This is a test which evaluates your general control over the previous three months. It tells you how you are doing in a general way. If this is ok, you may need to speak with a dietitian to make sure your food intake is adequate to maintain your body weight. If nutrition and control are good, I would recommend you see your physician about other medical conditions which could cause you to lose weight.

JTL

[Editor’s comment: You should also have your thyroid gland checked since hyperthyroidism is relatively common in type 1 diabetes and can cause weight loss.

SS]