- Note: Wikipedia does not provide medical advice. If you have a medical problem, you should seek expert help.
In the context of physical health, weight loss is the process of losing body weight, usually by losing fat. To achieve healthy weight loss, most experts recommend a combination of healthy eating patterns and regular physical exercise. Some people try to lose weight by using drugs such as fenfluoramine, nicotine or cocaine (see Anti-obesity drugs), herbs such as ephedra, or surgery such as liposuction.
A loss of weight can also be the symptom of some mental or physical diseases or disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or the cachexia associated with cancer or AIDS.
See also dieting.