Why don’t you sometimes feel like eating? Lack of appetite is no better than overeating

Why can you lose your appetite? What does it mean?

Let’s find out with nutritionists.

Not everyone can easily curb their appetite and refuse to give up their favorite dish. But it happens and vice versa: some, as they say, even “a piece in the throat does not fit”. Loss of appetite – a problem more common than many people think. Why can it happen?

doctor, nutritionist, employee of the scientific department of NPK “Bio-Vesta”

The very complaint of loss of appetite is only a symptom, behind which lies a huge number of diseases (or lack thereof).

Nutriciologist, founder of the “School of Nutritionists”

Loss of appetite can be absolute (anorexia), partial (hyporexia) and reduced (eating small amounts of food with a constant feeling of hunger). It can have different causes. Among them, for example, stress and significant life events, taking certain medications, sedentary lifestyle, mental and physical exhaustion, rigid protein diet. Age-related changes, as a result of which the number of receptors that perceive taste and odor decreases, also lead to a decrease in appetite.

In case the problem persists for a month, you should consult a specialist.

Diseases of internal organs are another possible cause of lack of hunger:

• diseases of the stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, intestines with impaired absorption of nutrients;
• presence of intestinal parasites;
• chronic infections (including tuberculosis, syphilis, AIDS);
• intoxication against the background of fever, food poisoning, metabolic disorders (in chronic renal and hepatic failure);
• blood diseases;
• malignant neoplasms of any nature and localization;
• type I diabetes mellitus;
• excess thyroid hormones in the body.

Paul: The very complaint of loss of appetite is only a symptom. It can speak of various disorders. One of the infrequent but serious causes of decreased or loss of appetite is cancer. In this case should be alerted to the perversion of appetite. It implies the appearance of aversion to certain foods or dishes, which can disappear and reappear during the day. Problems with appetite can also be of a psychogenic nature. The most common causes in this case are acute or chronic stress. However, the real cause of the decrease or loss of hunger can only be identified by a doctor.

Do not worry prematurely – most often serious illnesses bring with them a whole “bouquet” of unpleasant symptoms (weakness, nausea, weight loss). Not always loss of appetite is associated with any serious illness, there are many other reasons. Among them:

Improper diet
Abuse of food, especially sweet and fatty, leads to the fact that the body is disturbed secretion of digestive glands. This provokes nausea, processes of fermentation and putrefaction in the intestines, as well as discomfort that dulls hunger.

Stresses, although a frequent cause, are by no means the only one. Therefore, when there is a loss of appetite, especially if there are other complaints, the nutritionist advises the following:

• Start a temperature diary. Measure your body temperature twice a day – morning and evening – for a week. And be sure to write it down – it will come in handy when you visit the doctor.
• Measure your weight on the same scale. Ideally, do this in the morning on an empty stomach and with minimal clothing. The data should also be recorded.
• Analyze and remember what other complaints, in addition to decreased appetite, you had at the same time or shortly before this event. The answers to these questions will also be useful at the doctor’s appointment.