Lack or Loss of Appetite

Abdomen | Gastroenterology | Lack or Loss of Appetite (Symptom)


Description

Loss of appetite appears when food intake is decreased and especially when there is shortage in supply of basic caloric needs for each person. Not all people need the same input, what for one person is a balanced contribution to another can be very low. The lack of appetite and decreased desire to eat is considered a symptom that is common to many medical and psychological conditions.

Causes

Almost any disease can lead to a decrease in appetite. When severe, decreased appetite may lead to unwanted weight loss and malnutrition. A decreased appetite may signal severe anorexia. The term anorexia means loss of appetite or lack of appetite can occur in very different circumstances, such as fevers, general and digestive diseases or just temporary situations of everyday life. Anorexia is, therefore, a symptom that can occur in many diseases and not a disease in itself.

Anorexia nervosa in contrast, is not a symptom but a specific disease characterized by self-induced weight loss accompanied by a distortion of body image. Anorexia is a condition that goes beyond concerns about obesity and diet out of control. A person with anorexia often begins with a diet to lose weight. Over time, the weight loss becomes a command and control sign. The desire to be thinner is actually secondary to concerns about control and / or fears about their own bodies.

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