There are various reasons for a lack of appetite. Eating disorders in children are often the result of dietary mistakes of parents who sometimes force their children to eat. In turn, the reluctance to eat in adults may be caused by, for example, depression. Find out what causes a lack of appetite in children and adults.
The causes of lack of appetiteare different in children and adults.In children, lack of appetiteis most often the result of dietary mistakes or food allergies. In turn, in adultsappetite disordersmay be caused by smoking or depression.
Lack of appetite in children and adults - causes
- Nutritional errors
Rushing to eat or unvaried meals can cause loss of appetite. In children, a factor contributing to the development of appetite disorders is forcing them to eat excessive amounts of food (with sweets in the intervals between meals). These dietary mistakes cause a real loss of appetite through overloading the digestive tract or through mental reactions.
- Stomach problems
Lack of appetiteis one of the symptoms of indigestion or stomach ulcers. Stomach problems are usually accompanied by a severe abdominal pain that feels like a feeling of hunger. It is for this reason that the sick person avoids eating. In this case, you should follow an easily digestible diet and see a doctor to rule out stomach diseases.
- Food allergies
The most common food allergies are allergies to: cow's milk proteins, nuts, eggs, wheat, soybeans, fish and seafood. Allergen can cause abdominal pain (mainly in a child), so instinctively it avoids the cause of the ailments. Usually, but not always, the lack of appetite is a symptom that accompanies allergy symptoms, such as a change in the skin (hives and atopic dermatitis), diarrhea or vomiting. see a doctor, because in rare cases anaphylactic shock may occur, which is a direct threat to he alth and life.
- Malabsorption Syndrome
Malabsorption syndrome leads to improper digestion and absorptionone or more nutrients that are present in your daily diet. These substances are not absorbed by the body, but mostly excreted during defecation (the characteristic feature is unpleasant, greasy stools). Weight loss, constant fatigue and whining are typical symptoms of malabsorption disorders.
- Infections
The cause of an eating disorder may be a cold or flu, which weaken the body for a long time. A weakened body needs as much energy as possible to fight the disease and cannot spend it on digesting meals, therefore it automatically reduces the activity of the digestive system. During an infection, you should drink plenty of fluids and not force yourself to eat.
- Anemia
Anemia, i.e. anemia, usually manifests as pale skin, rapid fatigue or lack of concentration .
- Habitual constipation
Habitual constipation in children is often manifested by a lack of appetite. The stool in the intestines becomes harder over time, which can cause pain during a bowel movement. Therefore, the child consciously avoids eating.
According to an expertIza Czajka, nutrition physiologistLack of appetite, vomiting, weakness: what to do?
I can't handle what's going on by myself. I have been unable to eat for 2 months because when I eat something I feel unwell and vomit. I don't know if this is the beginning of some disease or because of the stress that hangs over me all the time. The strangest thing is that I don't feel hungry, but I feel bad: I feel dizzy, my head hurts and I'm physically weak, I have no strength for anything, I sleep a lot. My family "squeezes" food into me, but the very thought of having to eat and then return it makes me sick. I have never had a problem with eating. What can I do?
Iza Czajka, nutrition physiologist: The only thing I can advise you is to visit a general practitioner and assess your he alth, i.e. perform a series of tests that should answer whether your symptoms are a harbinger of a disease, or an introduction to eating disorders. If the results show inflammation, changes in digestive enzyme levels, low or high levels of sugar or insulin, or disorders in the secretion of other hormones, then you will be referred to the hospital for in-depth diagnosis. If it turns out that you have early eating disorder, then you will see a psychiatrist with a referral. Therapy + antidepressants and everything should be back to normal.
- Parasites
Pinworms, tapeworms or whipworms are the parasites thatthe most easily infected children .In this case, the reluctance to eat accompanies abdominal pain and nausea. It is worth knowing that the presence of gastrointestinal parasites can also cause delusional symptoms resembling allergies, so you should go as soon as possible to the doctor.
- Stress
Stress stimulates the anatomical system to excess production of cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine, which inhibit intestinal peristalsis and "tighten" the stomach, resulting in reluctance to eat.
- Depression
Anorexia is one of the common symptoms of depression. It even happens that depression is misdiagnosed as anorexia. Depression is often accompanied by tension headaches.
- Anorexia
In some cases, depression leads to anorexia, i.e. anorexia nervosa, a mental illness ,the main symptom of which is a persistent pursuit of weight loss.
- Smoking
Smoking may reduce your appetite because tobacco lowers the amount of calories absorbed and speeds up your metabolism. It is said that smoking one cigarette increases the body's energy expenditure by approx. 3% for approx. 30 minutes after smoking a cigarette. There may also be a feeling of fullness (a full stomach) that lasts up to two hours.
- Dyspagia
Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder. In the extreme case, we can deal with aphagia - it is a complete inability to swallow both food and liquids. Such a condition may be caused by lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, diseases of the nervous system, or a consequence of a brain injury - stroke or contusion. In the case of damage to the lateral part of the hypothalamus, which is responsible for feeling hungry (e.g. as a result of a head injury), the feeling of hunger may be suppressed. However, this type of situation occurs very rarely.