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A good appetite has always been seen as a sign of excellent health. Likewise, a loss of appetite may be associated with some underlying physical or emotional issues.
The medical term for loss of appetite is anorexia. This is different from anorexia nervosa which is a mental health condition. When you have a loss of appetite, you don't feel like eating any food. A person with anorexia nervosa doesn't want to eat any food.
In this blog, we’ll explore the reasons for losing your appetite and ways to regain it.
Loss of appetite can result from the following causes:
Any medical illness can reduce one's appetite. Someunderlying conditions include:
Most people can attest to the fact that emotions affect appetite – grief is a prime example. Other examples are fear, sadness, shock, fury, and worry.
Both prescription medications and illegal drugs can lead to appetite loss.Many medications have a loss of appetite, which is a common side effect. These include sedatives, some antibiotics, chemotherapy, and opioids among others.
Physical factors that may cause a loss of appetite may include:
Loss of appetite and feeling tired often go together. A simple explanation is that if you don't have an appetite, you're probably not eating much, which means you are not getting enough energy through your food.
If you are taking an GLP-1 antagonist drug like Ozempic, you may also experience loss of appetite. These types of drugs are prescribed to help patients with type 2 diabetes lose weight. Many patients report they lose their appetite when they take these drugs.
A lack of nutrients and calories will eventually lead to a lack of energy and exhaustion.
Other factors such as chronic pain can also suppress your appetite and make you tired. The ongoing pain can be the result of certain painful conditions like
The following conditions can make youfeel exhausted and not interested in food at all.
Tiredness and loss of appetite may also go together with depression. Few people who suffer from depression have loads of energy and a panache for food. This also goes for many who live with anxiety, stress, and bipolar disorder.
Typically someone who has had a shock or is grieving also has no interest in food and feels exhausted most of the time.
It can be a trial to eat when you don't feel like eating. But I encourage you to test some of the following suggestions because it's detrimental to your health to eat too little for too long.
A poor appetite can lead to malnutrition, which can have dire consequences for your health.
If you don't feel like eating, don't push yourself to eat a full meal. Eat a little at a time but make sure you make it count. Go for food high in nutrients and energy to keep up your strength, such as nuts and yogurt, whole wheat bread with cheese, or tuna and lettuce.
One of the factors responsible for people in the blue zones habituallyreaching an advanced age well past 100, is that they enjoy their meals in the company of friends. As much as possible, don't eat alone; food just doesn't taste the same and the whole experience is not half as enjoyable as sharing a meal.
In fact, research shows that eating alone isassociated with a poor appetite.
Many people don't eat breakfast and rush out the door with a cup of coffee to fuel their morning. This habit works for a while, but in the long run, it canwreak havoc with your health.
If you don't feel like eating, try to have a calorie-dense smoothie for breakfast. Smoothies are delicious and quick to make. The internet is full of ideas for protein, fruit and yogurt, probiotics, and anti-inflammatory smoothies that can replace breakfast or any other meal.
People with a poor appetite for a whole plate of food are often quite happy to have a snack. A snack can be less intimidating when you're struggling to eat. Just make sure your snacks are healthy. Here are some examples of healthy snacks:
Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that control the timing of things like sleep, wakefulness, and eating patterns. These rhythms help regulate when we feel awake or sleepy and when our body signals us to eat or fast.
Research suggests that a person’s ability to regulate their appetite efficiently is linked to circadian rhythms. In other words, if you don't eat at normal times initiated by your body's circadian rhythm, it might affect your appetite.
Caffeine is an appetite suppressant. If you have a poor appetite and habitually only have coffee for breakfast, the coffee may be stopping you from eating something more substantial. Try skipping the coffee and see what effect it has on your appetite for breakfast.
Many people who try to lose weight, drink water before a meal. This suppresses their appetite so they eat less. So, if you struggle to eat, don't drink anything before or during a meal. If you drink during a meal, you'll feel full soon and won't have an appetite to eat enough food.
It stands to reason that if you like something, you'll be tempted to eat it, regardless of your appetite. Having more of these foods readily available makes it more likely that you will eat even if you are not hungry.
There is a caveat, though. If your favorite foods are unhealthy and high in refined carbs, sugar, and saturated oils, it's not a good idea to focus on them as food choices.
Related Link: Dietitian-Backed Prepared Meal Plans!
Exercise leads to calorie expenditure which can make you feel hungry afterward. But this effect is not the same for all people and it’s not consistent. Research shows that exercise creates a temporary energy deficit where you burn more calories than you consume, but itdoesn’t necessarily make you hungry. Some people sometimeseat more after exercise and other times not.
At any rate, try it out - moderate exercise will do you good.
Stress can affect a person in many ways, including a decreased appetite. While some people eat more when stressed, others lose their appetite completely. If you are one of the latter, you need to learn to manage your stress.
To address your poor appetite, you need to identify the stressors causing you to lose your appetite. Once you've done that, you can start addressing them.
As your stress starts lifting your appetite should gradually return.
If you have a small appetite, you canfortify your food to ensure you get all the nutrients you need from small portions. Fortifying food means adding small amounts of healthy nutrient-dense ingredients to your meals and snacks.
Here are some suggestions to get you started.
Milk is high in protein and minerals, and contains vitamins C and B6. Add full-cream milk to cereals, sauces, soups, and mashed potatoes. You can alsofortify the milk by adding 4 tablespoons of skimmed milk powder to 1 pint of full-fat milk.
Nuts are also high in protein and contain important minerals and trace elements. You can add nuts or nut butter to
Cheese is high in protein and minerals. Add grated cheese to sauces, scrambled eggs, salads, soups, mashed potatoes, polenta, cooked vegetables, and sandwiches.
Hummus is a highly nutritious blend of chickpeas and tahini. Tahini is sesame paste. Hummus is high in protein, vitamin C, and calcium, among other minerals and trace elements. You only need a little to give your meal a real nutrient and calorie boost. Eat hummus with:
Consider taking fish oil to boost your appetite. In the past, many parents believed in a spoon of cod liver oil when a child was under the weather. It was considered a tonic that improved health. Indeed, research shows that supplementation with fish oil canincrease the desire to eat more.
Fish oils like cod liver oil contain omega-3 fatty acids which hold many health-promoting benefits. Food sources include:
Ginger is a well-known digestive aid that can also serve as an appetite stimulant. Make yourself a cup of ginger tea by peeling fresh ginger root, chopping it into small pieces, and adding it to a cup of boiled water.You can also use dried ginger; it has the same effect.
If your poor appetite is caused by a deficiency in vitamins or minerals, you can consider taking some supplements to restore your appetite.
First, ask your doctor to arrange a blood test to determine if you are in fact deficient in any nutrients. Many studies have found taking supplements isnot effective for healthy people. The best way to get nutrients in is through food unless your doctor thinks a certain supplement will benefit your condition.
See Also: 17 Practical Ideas to Get More Vitamins and Minerals through Diet!
If you are deficient in these minerals, your doctor or dietician might recommendzinc,thiamine, orfish oil to boost your appetite.
Zinc is an important micronutrient that performs countless important functions in the body. Zinc deficiency can lead to poor immune function and a loss of appetite. Research suggests that zinc supplements may help regain appetite in people deficient in zinc.
Also known as thiamine, vitamin B-1 is essential for growth and development. It helps to create energy from food. Animal studies show adeficiency can lead to appetite loss. Thiamine deficiency can also lead to fatigue, a symptom that often goes with a loss of appetite.
Some research studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish and fish oil may be an appetite booster.
Superfoods are high in essential nutrients and benefit health in countless ways. If you suffer from a loss of appetite, opting for superfoods can be especially beneficial, because you only need a little for a significant nutrient and calorie boost.
The following food items are not just part of the general hype around superfoods; they are part of abalanced diet shown to boost health.
One good way to improve your overall diet is through superfood supplements. You can check out our superfood powder here.
There are many possible causes for lacking the desire to eat. However, eating is important, as failing to eat can lead to malnutrition and lack of energy. If you don't feel like eating, try having small, frequent, meals or healthy, nutrient-dense snacks. This strategy will support your health while gradually restoring your appetite.
Getting some exercise and addressing anything that might be causing you stress may also help to restore your appetite.