What does it mean if there is no appetite. The child lost his appetite: what to do

A healthy person has a healthy interest in food. To keep the body in working condition, it has to be fed regularly. The feeling of hunger is a signal that you need to recharge.

But sometimes we do not want to eat at the usual time, and sometimes there is indifference or even aversion to food. Why does the appetite disappear? The reasons can be different, from the most banal to the most serious. Therefore, this should not be neglected.

We have to find out why people lose their appetite and what problems the body signals when it refuses to eat. How to react if the child's appetite is gone? What to do if the expectant mother has no appetite?

Lost appetite: causes

Easily installed and non-dangerous causes of loss of appetite

There is a mild form of appetite disturbance, that is, its decrease (hyporexia) and complicated, when a person has no appetite at all (anorexia). At the stage of hyporexia, you can still try to deal with disorders on your own, but anorexia poses a great danger to human health and life, which means self-medication is unacceptable!

Loss of appetite may indicate serious disorders in the functioning of internal organs. Especially if you suddenly lost your appetite. There is no doubt about the seriousness of the situation, when the temperature jumped at the same time and the appetite disappeared.

If loss of appetite is the only symptom, then we are talking about temporary malfunctions in the body. Let's consider why this happens.

Appetite decreases under the influence of external factors, often weather conditions. Personally, I eat almost nothing for whole days when it is an abnormally hot summer. It is normal that you do not want to eat, the body correctly requires more fluid in order to replace its loss. Drink a lot and don't force yourself to eat. Appetite will be restored as soon as the heat subsides.
Change of place of habitual residence It can be a test both physically and psychologically. If you've lost your appetite after moving, don't worry. Give yourself time to get used to the new conditions and circumstances, and the body to adapt.
Chronic fatigue may lead to appetite disturbances. The fact is that the body spends a lot of energy on the process of digesting food. When a person is tired, the subconscious tells you to conserve strength. In addition, falling down from unbearable loads, not only physical ones, it can be so lazy to take care of food that it is easier for the body to refuse it.

Another common cause of loss of appetite is the body's protest against certain medications. If you have been taking medications, biological supplements, doping, contraceptives, weight loss drugs for a long time, look at the side effects in the instructions and the expiration date of the drugs. To restore your appetite, you will have to change a specific drug or stop using such drugs altogether. Stop self-medication, in particular, with herbs, categorically refuse expired drugs. Simple actions can easily restore lost appetite.
diet abuse For the sake of losing weight, you risk doing great harm to health. Diets are dangerous because because of them a person artificially creates a deficiency of vital substances. Due to improper diets, nutrition becomes irrational, which in turn leads to rapid weight loss and loss of appetite. If it comes down to it, gradually get off the diet. The next time you choose a diet, after consulting with a nutritionist, and strictly follow his recommendations.
Loss of appetite is often the result bad habits . Smoking, alcohol abuse, the use of narcotic substances in any way slowly but surely destroy the internal organs and disrupt the processes occurring in the body, in particular digestion. Lack of appetite is a predictable result of a long unhealthy lifestyle. It's never too late to give up bad things. Do it at last!
Psychological reasons loss of appetite is common. Any strong unrest is perceived by the body as stress. It doesn't matter if they are positive or negative. A wedding or divorce, a long-awaited meeting or its cancellation, an important victory or defeat - such events can significantly reduce appetite. The only difference is that after positive experiences, disruptions in the body associated with the unwillingness to eat quickly normalize, and negative ones often develop into a depressed state or even depression. If for a long time you have not only poor appetite, but also mood swings, consider this a good reason to see a doctor. Don't expect depression to go away with time. The longer you delay, the harder it will be for you to get back to normal. Know: along with the mood, the appetite will return.

Loss of appetite as a symptom

Unfortunately, lack of appetite is often a sign of serious health problems. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms that may accompany food aversion and the causes of this condition.

If you just don’t feel like eating, and there are no other painful symptoms, then you shouldn’t get hung up on this. Most likely, this is a temporary symptom and soon everything will pass.

But often poor appetite is accompanied by parallel symptoms, for example:

headache + lack of appetite;
nausea + lack of appetite.

If you suffer from a complex of symptoms, consult a general practitioner or family doctor. The primary care specialist will refer you to one of the highly specialized colleagues: a psychotherapist, a gastroenterologist, a nutritionist, an endocrinologist, an oncologist. Hurry up for a consultation.

Dangerous causes of loss of appetite:

Poisoning (intoxication) - food, drugs, gases, toxins, alcohol ... The body does not perceive anything, on the contrary - it works to eliminate the poison. If you suffer from nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite and diarrhea at the same time, you are most likely poisoned. This is exactly the case when it is better to refuse food for a certain time. Call an ambulance immediately or rush to the infectious diseases department.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: cholecystitis, dysbacteriosis, gastritis, ulcer. The most common set of symptoms with them: lack of appetite, abdominal pain.
Violation of the functions of the endocrine system.
Diseases of the nervous system, mental disorders.
Diseases of the liver, pancreas may be accompanied by symptoms: lack of appetite, nausea, weakness.
Infectious diseases, in particular tuberculosis, are another number of possible reasons why you do not want to eat.
Oncological diseases. Cancer patients refuse certain foods, most often meat. In a combination of severe weakness with a lack of appetite lies the danger of oncology.

Symptoms that, in combination with loss of appetite, should alert you

Call an ambulance if the violation of appetite is accompanied by dangerous complexes of symptoms, such as:

diarrhea, lack of appetite
pain, lack of appetite, nausea
vomiting, lack of appetite
fever, lack of appetite.

With such symptoms, it is extremely dangerous to remain without medical supervision.

No appetite: what to do

A good appetite is not without reason considered a sign of good health. When a person does not feel hungry for longer than usual, it causes anxiety. It immediately becomes clear that not everything is in order with health, mental or physical. No one has yet been able to feel good without nourishing the body in time. Discomfort, weakness caused by a lack of nutrients that enter the body with food are so strong that people literally lose their zest for life. If appetite is gone, what to do is not always clear. At first, people tend to neglect the situation, but in the meantime it becomes so complicated that the strength and desire to correct it disappear. We offer a selection of effective, proven tips on how to act when you don’t feel like eating anything.

First of all, try to restore the natural need for food with elementary methods.

Why not work up an appetite in the park or on the waterfront? Choose a place for a walk where there are a lot of green plantings. Having sated your lungs with plenty of oxygen, you may want to eat very quickly. It will not be superfluous to walk past the place where street food smells delicious. Appetizing smells will surely wake up your dormant taste buds!
Physical activity in nature is an excellent appetite activator. Suitable for jogging, cycling, any sport with a ball or rackets, fitness, dancing, yoga, and better - swimming. Classes in the water cause wolf hunger! But don't overexert yourself, because exhaustion can backfire. It is very good if you do not do it alone. Good company and pleasant fatigue will certainly restore your lost appetite.
Often interruptions in appetite are associated with non-compliance with sleep and food intake. Restore your usual daily routine if it has been changed, or just wait until the adaptation period has passed.
It happens that the loss of appetite is caused by the monotony of your diet or loneliness. Perhaps you are just tired of the usual menu or too lazy to cook something new for yourself, there is no one to share a meal with. Make an effort - treat yourself to something tasty. "Colored food", fresh berries, vegetables and fruits, pleasing to the eye, greatly stimulate the appetite. If you don’t feel like doing something for yourself, invite guests. You will not feed them banal potatoes?! But stuffed zucchini with potato sailboats will tempt you even in the process of cooking. There is an easier option for those who are not capable of culinary exploits. Organize a meeting of old friends. With them for the company you will have to taste everything!

There is a high probability of overcoming the lack of appetite by doing things you love. Just make time for what brings you pleasure. In a depressed state, there can be no talk of new hobbies, but remembering old ones is very useful. Listen to the music you listened to, look through the exhibits of a long-forgotten collection, re-read the book that made an impression on you. It may happen that you do not even notice how you start to snack on everything that comes to hand.
If you have bad habits, do your best to stop them. We do not promise that the appetite will return immediately, because the process of restoring the body from negative influences is a long one. However, after a while, you will definitely feel a surge of strength and hunger.

If there is no appetite during pregnancy

With the forces of her own body, the expectant mother ensures the development of a new life. This requires more physical and psychological resources than usual. Extraordinary emotions, excessive anxiety, increased responsibility, sharp hormonal surges are factors that significantly change the state of a person. Of course, they in turn affect the appetite. At different periods of pregnancy, it either disappears or grows exorbitantly. A pregnant woman finds herself between two extremes: eating for two, but not overeating. At first glance, it is paradoxical that appetite worsens during pregnancy. We will explain why this is so.

Worst of all, what loss of appetite during pregnancy can indicate is an exacerbation of existing diseases, any of the above. It is clear that you will have to be treated, as well as the fact that self-treatment is out of the question.

In a healthy pregnant woman, a sluggish interest in food has clear explanations that are directly related to her condition. Mostly lack of appetite during pregnancy is observed in the first trimester.

Toxicosis is the most common reason why a pregnant woman eats little. It usually lasts up to three months, during which a woman can even lose weight. The pregnant woman is sick, there is no appetite, this is understandable. But actually toxicosis is already a consequence of certain processes characteristic of the period of pregnancy. Exacerbation of olfactory receptors causes aversion to certain smells. The increased sensitivity and vulnerability of a woman to the changes that occur to her are often expressed by poor appetite. Hormonal surges suppress appetite due to reduced digestive function. In addition to these reasons, the unwillingness of a pregnant woman to eat can be explained by a lack of iron or folic acid. They are needed in sufficient quantities for the formation of a healthy fetus. If they are not enough, the body signals this by refusing to perceive food, especially one that does not contain them. Do not forget about the factors that strongly affect the desire or unwillingness to eat. You can be pleased with the fact that all these are normal and temporary phenomena. At the same time, we warn you not to take the loss of appetite during pregnancy as infantile, because you are simply obliged to provide the unborn child with everything necessary.

If a woman in the second trimester of pregnancy complains: “I don’t feel hungry,” this basically means only that the uterus, by putting pressure on the intestines, provokes stagnation of digested products in the body.

In the third trimester, the enlarged body of the child presses on the stomach through the wall of the uterus, respectively, the capacity of the stomach decreases, which suppresses the feeling of hunger. Also, often women are worried not to gain excess weight and “not feed” the fetus, fearing difficult childbirth, so they subconsciously limit themselves in food.

The basic principle of nutrition of a pregnant woman: eat little, often and only the best!

What should a pregnant woman do to improve her appetite

First of all, walk a lot. Be physically active, without undue stress, of course. Do what makes you happy and avoid everything that makes you sad.
Take tests on time, saturate the body with the necessary micronutrients, nutrition or, if necessary, vitamin preparations.
There are small portions, but often, 5-7 times a day. Eat liquid food. Drink a lot.
Sleep longer at night and allow yourself daytime sleep.

During pregnancy, lack of appetite is a symptom that is mostly alarming. Nevertheless, it is forbidden to ignore it, if only because up to 80% of the health of the unborn child depends on the nutrition of the mother. And the woman herself needs to prepare for childbirth. Pretty compelling to do your best for a balanced diet during this critical period, right?

The child lost his appetite: what to do

The ideal child in terms of nutrition for many parents is the one who eats everything that is given and when they are given. Indeed, it is very convenient. But this practically does not happen and should not be. This is easy to explain: you can’t convince a child that you need to eat, it’s useful. He eats when he wants to, doesn't eat when he doesn't want to.

In general, the child refuses to eat in such cases:

The child is full. This is good.
The child is sick. This is bad, but in this case you need to treat, not feed.
The child does not like what they offer. Well, there is only one way out: to prepare something else, after asking what the child would like.
The child shows character or whims during meals - this is a protective reaction. Do not encourage him to persuade him to eat without fail, do not succumb to provocations.

None of the reasons mentioned gives adults the right to force a child to eat! It won't do any good. Any coercion is very harmful: for relationships, for the psyche and for health in the first place.

Of course, the lack of appetite in a child can be sought in another way. We have collected possible causes and recommendations for their elimination.

Helpful Hints

Teach your child to eat wholesome childhood foods. And then he will not have problems with lack of appetite, and with weight. Let the child not know the taste of harmful foods for as long as possible. Instead of sweets - dried fruits, instead of chips - homemade crackers, instead of sugar - honey, instead of purchased juices and waters - ordinary water, compotes and compotes. Enlist the support of relatives and people in contact with the child. Prohibit treating your child with lollipops and other edible garbage!

It is difficult to accustom a child to a culture of nutrition and healthy food if you yourself do not demonstrate this in everyday life. Be an example or do not demand from the child what is unusual in his environment.

If the child does not have an appetite, the reasons may not be related to satiety. By turning the meal into a cult, you let your child know that food is important to you. And the child uses this as a means of influencing you.

Reduce the importance of food. Let me not eat. The little stubborn one will miss a few dinners. So what? He will not die of hunger, but he will make sure that blackmail with food does not work.

Remember, a balanced diet is the key to good health. Make sure your child has a healthy appetite, but do not force him to eat a lot. Let everyone develop according to their individual needs.

Often the disease of lack of appetite sends us an alarm signal. Usually in such cases, accompanying symptoms are observed. However, not always. If a child has a high or low temperature, lack of appetite, weakness at the same time, act without delay.

Poor appetite: how to regain interest in food

In the absence of appetite, the causes cannot always be established quickly. But in the meantime, you can try to regain interest in food. If walking, physical activity, mood enhancement by all available methods did not work, there are many other ways that will help you achieve a positive result.

Get yourself a vitamin therapy. Special medicines will help bring the disturbed appetite back to normal. We do not specifically name them, because self-medication can do more harm than good. Consult a doctor and start with a multivitamin, or one of the vitamins: B12, iron, ascorbic acid, strictly observing the dose.

But foods that increase appetite, in moderation, can be consumed safely. If you have a poor appetite, add the following foods to your daily diet: lemon and other citrus fruits, sour apples, pomegranates, black radish, onions, garlic, sauerkraut, wild garlic, cranberries, mountain ash, blackberries, raspberries. Be sure to drink juices.

Another option, which also requires agreement with the doctor, is tinctures and decoctions of herbs that stimulate appetite. These include: dandelion roots, ginseng, pink radiola, marsh calamus, bitter wormwood, mint and lemon balm, yarrow, thyme, dill seeds and greens (fennel for newborns), plantain leaves and others. You can use one-component products or pharmacy fees.

HERBAL TINCTURE RECIPE FOR APPETITE: Prepare the collection: 50 g of bitter wormwood, 100 g of St. John's wort, 100 g of calamus root. 2 tbsp. l. collect these herbs in the evening, pour into a thermos and pour two glasses of boiling water. In the morning, strain, divide into 4 servings (150 g each). Take 4 times a day 15 minutes before meals.

MELISSE TEA RECIPE FOR APPETITE: Grind 2 tbsp. l. lemon balm. Pour two cups of boiling water and let it brew for four hours. Drink ½ cup before each meal throughout the day.

In general, short-term appetite disorders do not pose a threat to health. But a complete lack of appetite can have irreparable consequences. Be attentive to the state of your health, be diagnosed in time!

A common cause of loss of appetite is fasting, especially if you resort to it without prior preparation and without the supervision of a nutritionist. Before deciding to go on a hunger strike, make sure that you do not suffer from an ailment in which it is contraindicated.

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Unfortunately, in the pursuit of an ideal body and excessive passion for strict diets, many slimming people forget about health. And the first symptoms of malfunctions in the body, on the contrary, are greeted with joy, considering them a sign of the success of the chosen method of losing weight. These symptoms include loss of appetite.

It would seem, on the contrary, - what's wrong with that? The less you want to eat, the faster the weight loss progresses ... But not everything is so rosy and simple. Diets.ru offers today to talk about the alarm signals that our body sends when the "road to harmony" turns off the right path.

When the desire to eat disappears, do not sound the alarm. However, there are times when lack of appetite is the first sign of serious disorders in the body, which should be urgently responded to. Sudden weight loss should not always be considered as a plus - it is better to find the cause of the disease in time and eliminate it.

What is appetite

Translated from Latin, the word "appetites" is translated as "desire". This means that a person experiences pleasure while eating. Considered from a medical point of view, this phenomenon is a special mechanism of a physiological type, thanks to which the human body is provided with the necessary substances for normal life.

In turn, there are two types of appetite:

General
When it is possible to use absolutely any products

Special
When the body requires a certain food, based on the needs for fats, carbohydrates, proteins and other necessary components

Thus, appetite is a rather complex concept. It is associated with the work of not only the digestive system, but also the structures of the brain - the food center.

That is why Hunger is dictated more by the head than by the stomach.
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What causes hunger

When information about the food consumed enters the food center of the brain, as a rule, it is processed according to a certain algorithm. First, it is specified in what quantities food was received, then the assimilation process, nutritional conditions are established, and then - most importantly - how the received substances will be spent.

However, appetite does not arise when the body's food resources have completely exhausted themselves, but in advance. At the same time, if there is a sudden change in the habitual nutrition system, the brain sends an alarm signal, and the stimuli that form the appetite begin to act differently: from here, acute hunger appears, or the desire to eat completely disappears.
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During the normal functioning of the digestive system, appetite appears when
when the stomach feels empty, and its walls begin to contract.
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At a lower body temperature, a person also wants to eat. In addition, the desire to snack arises due to conditioned reflexes: for example, when you see a gourmet dish with a unique aroma. Even a wall clock can signal to the brain that it's lunch time and it's time to take a break.
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Any violation of appetite is a serious disease that requires appropriate treatment.
The general medical term for the disease is dysrexia.
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The concept, in turn, includes four groups of pathologies:

Hyporexia- a significant decrease in appetite
Anorexia- complete lack of desire for food
Hyperrexia – normal increase in appetite
bulimia- the extreme stage of hyperrexia, characterized by gluttony
Pararexia- symptoms of perverted appetite

Why don't you want to eat

If we consider the lack of appetite as a sudden phenomenon, experts identify the following causes of this problem:

In the cases listed above, it is not worth strenuously fighting the loss of appetite. It is wiser to start eliminating the problem of its disappearance with the truth.

To do this, you should consult a doctor, pass the necessary tests, identify the disease, start treatment and, as a concomitant action, review your usual diet by including more wholesome food in it.

Other 5 Causes of Loss of Appetite

In addition to the main reasons for the lack of desire for food, there are also other factors that lead to a decrease or complete loss of appetite.

1. The wrong diet
Often, in the pursuit of harmony, not the best methods are chosen, which not only do not lead to the desired result, but can also harm the body. An unbalanced, exhausting diet can lead to stress, and the process of losing weight will get out of control. In this case, the most dangerous consequence will be the complete lack of desire for food - anorexia.

2. Climatic conditions
In the summer, many people experience a decrease in the desire to snack. This is due to the fact that, due to the heat, the body does not have to spend calories on heating the body, therefore, it does not feel the need to replenish reserves, because they are already normal. In addition, during the hot season, the load on the cardiovascular, nervous and excretory systems increases. Therefore, much less time is allotted for digestion.

3. Lack of movement
With a sedentary lifestyle, appetite often decreases. Sedentary work in the office, lack of sports load - all this leads to less energy consumption and, as a result, a slowdown in metabolism, which leads to a lack of desire to eat. In this case, it is recommended to add some activity to your usual lifestyle, otherwise it can lead to serious health problems.

4. Stress
In medical practice, there is a special diagnosis - "stressorexia". The disease is a type of digestive disorder that usually occurs in women between the ages of 20 and 40. Their tired and exhausted body is no longer able to continue living in such a way, therefore, it tries to attract attention by declaring a “hunger strike”. The only way to fix the situation is to change your lifestyle.

5. Old age
Over the years, the perception of taste and smell is significantly weakened, therefore, even at the sight of the most appetizing dishes, the required amount of gastric juice is not released and, as a result, the desire to have a bite does not really remind of itself. In addition, in old age, the intestines become more “lazy”, problems with the digestive system begin, and most importantly, the metabolism slows down. Despite irreversible processes, proper nutrition is very important - and you should not limit yourself to it, even if sometimes you even have to eat through force.

What to do

Treatment for loss of appetite mainly depends on the cause that caused this condition. For example, if it is due to climatic conditions, then no intervention is required, and the body will recover on its own after some time. However, in other cases, intervention is necessary - especially for people suffering from a lack of weight or serious disorders in the functioning of the digestive system.

Fresh air
Many, for sure, noticed that if you walk for at least half an hour in the park, you immediately experience a slight hunger. Oxygen enriches the body, normalizing many internal processes, thereby restoring the natural need for food.

Any sports, even amateur workouts, require the return of a certain amount of energy. After that, the body will need to urgently replenish depleted reserves, which will give a signal about the need to refresh.

Herbs for Appetite
Some types of medicinal herbs stimulate the appetite and return its loss. Doctors recommend taking infusions of parsley, wormwood, yarrow leaves, and dandelion root. However, it is better to consult a specialist about the doses of use. A harmless but effective appetite suppressant is regular mint green tea.

Protein + vitamin
In order to restore appetite at home, it is necessary to include meals and drinks rich in proteins in the diet. In addition, it also helps to restore the natural desire for food.

Green color
To stimulate appetite, it is recommended to eat as much as possible. This color has a stimulating effect on the body, causing it to need food.
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Depending on concomitant symptoms in conjunction with the problem of loss of appetite
You need to contact the following professionals:
nutritionist, gastroenterologist, psychologist, neurologist and endocrinologist.
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In order to restore appetite, it is necessary to approach the problem with all responsibility. Timely eliminated disease will provide excellent health for many years to come!

The body must work like a clock, so do not neglect it. And it is best to carefully monitor his work, avoiding failures.

To understand the cause of poor appetite, it would be nice to know when this very appetite comes to us.. This sensation depends on enzymes and gastric juice. When the necessary level of these substances accumulates in the stomach, a person begins to want to eat. Judging from the opposite, a person loses his appetite when enzymes and gastric juice are poorly produced or not produced at all. It also happens that bile is thrown into the stomach from the liver, and it suppresses the acidity of the stomach and thereby drowns out the appetite.

Sometimes loss of appetite is caused by excessive indulgence in foods rich in saturated fats or sweets.. Smoking and alcohol in some people can also reduce appetite. In the amount of food eaten, heredity plays an important role, so sometimes “little girls” fall into the category of people with poor appetite. And in some cases, the cause of the loss of appetite cannot be determined. Most likely, it will be in the field of psychosomatics.

Causes of Poor Appetite

First of all, appetite may decrease or disappear with serious diseases of the cardiovascular system, chronic liver disease, kidney infections and hepatitis. Another reason for this phenomenon is inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular the intestines, as well as cancer of the stomach and colon. With acute respiratory diseases, flu and colds, this can also happen, because it is with these diseases that the body wants to direct all its forces to fight the disease. Another group of diseases that occur with loss of appetite: diabetes mellitus, lowering the level of thyroid hormone, as well as endocrine problems. A disorder of the immune system, psyche and nervous system can also be accompanied by an aversion to food.

Sometimes the reason for the lack of appetite lies in. If there are signs such as poor sleep, lethargy and nervousness, this may be due to a lack of vitamin B1. An organism that does not receive vital substances, trace elements and vitamins simply refuses poor food - this can be called self-defense.

In addition, loss of appetite can occur due to medications such as anesthetics, antibiotics, diabetes medications, and chemotherapy treatments.

How to restore appetite

If the loss of appetite is not caused by serious illnesses, then you can try to correct this situation.. First, you can increase the acidity of your stomach with foods that help produce digestive enzymes and stimulate your appetite. This includes spicy seasonings, for example - horseradish, mustard, pepper, as well as spicy herbs (greens). The juices of plantain, garden cabbage, infusions of bison grass and St. John's wort will also help.

The correct combination of dishes during meals and their proper distribution will also help improve appetite.. For example, contrary to tradition, a meal should start with main courses, and soup should be eaten ten minutes after the second. Then the gastric juice that is in the stomach will not be diluted with liquid soup, and it will be easier for him to digest solid food. You can also lightly acidify the food with vinegar or salt well.

Cooking for a person who has a poor appetite, you need according to some rules. So, it is better to fill the cereal with water and keep it that way for a while, and then just boil it. Meat and potatoes do not cook to the end, leave as if undercooked or undercooked. And fish is better to cook longer.

You can include mini-meals and nutritious snacks that are rich in protein in the diet of a person with poor appetite. Or try drinks that are high in protein. Another way is to take nutritional yeast supplements that include vitamin B. Green vegetable salads that are high in quantity (especially those containing zinc) can also bring back lost appetite.

To increase appetite, decoctions and infusions of herbs are sometimes prescribed. who drink half an hour before meals. These funds will help stimulate the appetite, lost during psycho-emotional disorders and stress. These are healing teas made from chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm or dill. They put the nervous system in order, and at the same time interest in food returns.

Signs of poor appetite

How to determine if the loss of appetite is caused by a serious reason or is it a temporary phenomenon? Let's break it down point by point:

Loss of appetite is accompanied by weight loss, this process occurs gradually and steadily. These signs may indicate the presence of serious diseases and it is necessary to go to the clinic for examination. Sometimes the cause can be identified by a blood or urine test. These indicators can identify liver disease, diabetes, or hormonal imbalances. A urinalysis will help identify an infection in the kidneys. A chest x-ray can check the lungs for pneumonia and other illnesses. An ultrasound can check the abdomen and examine the function of the liver, kidneys, and thyroid gland.

If a person is sick and has lost his appetite, it is better not to force yourself to eat.. We know that some people with the help of hunger cure such diseases much faster. The fact is that the body spends a lot of energy on digesting food. Illness is an additional load, which means that additional energy is needed. Here the body refuses food in order to direct all its forces to fight the disease. Here we can recall wise animals that refuse to eat and even drink when they are unwell.
Severe stress can also cause loss of appetite.. During stress, the walls of the esophagus spasm, the body understands that food simply will not pass into it, and refuses it. In this case, you need to overcome the effects of stress by any means and try to eat liquid food. Gradually, the body will understand that nothing threatens it, and it can safely take any food. But if such stresses are repeated often or a person constantly lives against their background, then the problem may turn out to be chronic. A favorite pastime, walks in nature (preferably by the water), meditative music, massage or a bath will help in getting rid of stress. Everyone can also find their own way. However, the most effective way is to get rid of the source of stress.
Lack of a clear or at least some kind of daily routine, full breakfasts and lunches can knock the body out of rhythm and worsen appetite. Eternal snacks with sandwiches, coffee with a cigarette can stress the entire digestive system, and it will refuse food. Indulge yourself at least occasionally with homemade dinners so as not to forget what a good appetite and healthy intestines are.
The desire to lose weight and adherence to various diets can cause psychological aversion to food. This is already a problem from the field of medicine and psychiatry, and it is not easy to overcome it. Therefore, you need to understand why we need this or that diet, and love ourselves for who we are. And do not go around the clinic in search of lost appetite. After all, even well-known models that shone on the catwalk for many years could not always cope with this problem and died of anorexia.

Anyway, whatever the reason for the loss of appetite, it cannot be put up with. Lack of nutrients, vitamins and minerals can eventually lead to malnutrition and new diseases. Therefore, it is simply necessary to find out the cause and get rid of it.

Appetite may decrease due to the fact that the need for calories decreases or the metabolism slows down. This can lead to:

Heat on the street. The body does not have to spend calories on heating, which means that there is no need for a large amount of food. In addition, in the heat, the load on the cardiovascular, nervous, and excretory systems increases. And the body decides to make it easier for itself and not to waste energy on digestion.

Inactive lifestyle. Appetite often worsens when a person moves less. For example, when changing a job in which he had to work physically, to a sedentary job in the office. Energy consumption decreases, metabolism slows down, and, as a result, the desire to eat decreases.

Elderly age. Over the years, our sense of smell and perception of taste weakens, which means that when we see a dish, less digestive juice is produced. The intestines become lazier with age, constipation may occur. The metabolism slows down, and there is no particular desire to eat.

How to be?

To improve your appetite, you need to correctly approach the organization of the menu. First of all, switch to fractional nutrition - eat a little, but every 3-4 hours. Remove heavy foods from the diet: mushrooms, fried and fatty foods. Try to eat more vegetables, fruits, berries - their acids excite the appetite. If there are no contraindications (gastritis, heartburn), you should use spices and seasonings. And of course, you need to work up an appetite - move more, walk.

Need strength for something else

Sometimes the body turns off the appetite because more important processes are taking place in it, to which you need to direct energy.

Intoxication against the background of the disease. With SARS, influenza, and other inflammatory diseases, there is sometimes no desire at all. Microbes and the viruses that cause them release a lot of toxins in the process of life. The liver must remove them. Since it is actively involved in the process of digestion, the body decides to remove the additional load from it.

Stress. When we are nervous, the hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released into the bloodstream, which speed up the heartbeat, breathing, and increase sweating. The brain needs to regulate all these processes, and it is distracted from digestion. True, this is typical only for acute stress. If it is hidden, sluggish, many people, on the contrary, try to console themselves with food.

How to be?

If you don’t feel like eating, in the acute period of the disease (against the background of a high temperature), you can get by with a vitamin drink: juices, fruit drinks, tea with honey. But when it gets better, you need to refresh yourself so that the body can replenish the energy lost. Priority - light protein meals, vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins A and C.

You need to force yourself to eat even after nervous tension. When it subsides, the body is depleted - you need to restore its resources. Magnesium-rich foods are especially important for this: nuts, legumes, buckwheat, cabbage, beef.

When to go to the doctor

Decreased appetite is a frequent companion of gastritis, hepatitis, problems with the pancreas. It can be observed in violation of the thyroid gland, diabetes. Very often, appetite worsens with oncology and autoimmune diseases. Depression can cause aversion to food.

How to be?

Consult a doctor if a noticeable decrease in appetite is observed for a week or more; if, against the background of unwillingness to eat, there is pain in the abdomen, joints, back, headache, nausea; if there is no appetite, and you feel anxiety, apathy, loss of strength, unusual irritability; if, although the appetite is poor and you eat very little, the weight does not decrease and even increases. Most likely, a series of examinations will be required, after which the doctor will make a diagnosis and begin treatment.

17.03.2016

Appetite and its absence are not always associated with some diseases, especially if it is not accompanied by any additional negative symptoms. And very in vain: after all, excessive or insufficient appetite can be an indicator of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, and other pathologies.

Rare changes in appetite occur during periods of hormonal surges - mainly in women during periods before menstruation or during pregnancy. If the appetite disappeared suddenly and without objective reasons, and this condition continues for a long time, accompanied by a sharp weight loss, you should consult a doctor to rule out serious diseases: cancer, diabetes, and so on. Perhaps the lack of appetite is caused by neuropathological ailments or indigestion. dysbacteriosis. An accurate diagnosis will be made by the doctor, after conducting the necessary tests.

Poor appetite in a child can be caused by insufficient activity or lack of physical activity necessary for his age. If the child has always had a good appetite, which suddenly disappeared, there may be violations of the systems in the body.

So, the main serious reasons that there is no appetite:

diabetes - can be accompanied by both an increase and a decrease in the desire to eat, the same changes in appetite occur during pregnancy.
stomach cancer - characterized by selective appetite - certain foods are rejected, mainly meat, sometimes there is complete indifference to meals, anorexia.
gastritis - a chronic form of gastritis is marked by a lack of appetite due to a decrease in the activity of the pancreas.
sitophobia - occurs as a derivative of stomach diseases and is manifested by a conscious refusal of food, due to fear of pain after eating, for example, this condition is typical for patients with stomach ulcers.
other problems of the gastrointestinal tract - usually any problems with the stomach lead to a decrease in appetite in various formats.

Appetite

Let's see what appetite is and why it is not there during illness. Appetite is translated as "desire or desire." That is, we are talking about the pleasure brought to a person during the absorption of food. If we rely on the medical interpretation of the concept of "appetite", then doctors refer to it the physiological mechanisms that make people fill their nutritional needs.

Appetite is a concept associated with the work of special parts of the brain. They are called food centers, the most active of which are located in the cortex and hypothalamus. Thus. the desire to eat is formed in the head.

Why Appetite Occurs

The brain has a center responsible for food. There are signals about the amount of food consumed, the degree of its digestibility, the consumption of reserves by burning energy. A signal about the desire to eat - appetite - appears ahead of the natural depletion of resources, and even a change in the usual diet will lead to the appearance of alarming "beacons".

Causes affecting the presence of appetite

the rate of metabolic processes in the body;
the presence in the blood of substances necessary for existence;
water balance;
fat storage;

Appetite arises as a result of the contraction of the walls of the empty stomach. Appetite also increases when conditioned reflexes to taste and smell are triggered. Visual stimuli in the form of a clock, the hands of which are approaching lunch time.

Inhibition of appetite occurs during the period of eating, when the walls of the stomach stretch, nutrients enter the bloodstream, gradually changing the hormonal background. As a result, the brain receives a command about satiety. Satiety is felt no earlier than 15 minutes after the start of the meal. Therefore, in order to prevent overeating, you should spend at least 20 minutes at the table, chewing your food slowly and thoroughly.

Types of Appetite

willingness to eat any food - common;
selective appetite, reflecting the need for a particular group of substances - proteins, fats or carbohydrates;
psychological nature - "jamming" of a bad mood, resentment, etc.

Appetite starts the preparatory processes of digestion of food - the separation of saliva, the secretion of gastric juices, and if there is no appetite all the time, this indicates problems with the gastrointestinal tract or other body systems.

Sometimes there is no appetite due to psychological problems or mental disorders, the desire to eat can be affected by a brain tumor.

Appetite excites a change in the level of sugar, especially its sharp increase in the blood. If you eat a dozen sweets or drink half a liter of sweet soda, sugar can increase its content in the blood by 2-3 times, the body tries to quickly get rid of the excess, processing the latter into fat. At the same time, sugar again falls below normal, giving a signal to the food center about the need to eat to make up for the lack. So the hunger comes back.

Mental disorders affecting appetite

Mental dyslexia combines all types of appetite disorders - both its unmotivated increase and its absence.

Hypo- and anorexia - respectively, a decrease or complete absence of appetite.
Bulimia and hyperrexia - gluttony and a pathological increase in appetite
Parorexia - perverse changes in appetite.

Appetite disorders should not be confused with pseudo dyslexia. This is a state when a very hungry person eats literally with a wolf appetite, and an overeat at a banquet in the evening does not feel hungry in the morning.

Bulimia and complete lack of appetite

Gluttony or bulimia is a serious disease characterized by uncontrolled appetite. At the same time, a person is not able to stop eating even after absorbing the necessary norm of food. Daily uncontrolled eating of large amounts of food disrupts the work of all body systems, which, unable to cope with excess sugar, protein and fat, processes everything into reserves, as a result, the work of the excretory system and liver is overloaded. Overeating leads to obesity and diseases of the internal organs. The walls of the stomach stretch, demanding more and more food each time. This problem needs urgent treatment. This condition can be observed in a child, and in a teenager, and in an adult.

A complete lack of appetite or anorexia is mainly observed in people on a strict diet. This is more of a psychological "fad" - eat as little as possible or, in general, stop eating in order to become slimmer. The next step is taking diuretics and laxatives. Gradually, the body is depleted, the coordinated work of its organs is disrupted. It is necessary to get out of the state of such a “hunger strike” in a hospital, and after that a person will have a long psychological rehabilitation.

Often stress at work, loss of loved ones, divorce, serious illness of parents lead to ignoring food and lack of appetite. Quite often, people, on the contrary, "jam" problems or difficult life situations.

In the case of anorexia, with a pathological desire to lose weight as much as possible, its reverse side manifests itself in bulimia. The mechanism is as follows: unable to withstand long-term restrictions and refusal of food, breakdowns occur with overeating, after which patients induce vomiting and take laxatives, trying to remove products from the body before they are absorbed. Patients with anorexia-bulimia are difficult to cure, since most of them do not consider their own condition as a disease. Firstly, they do not gain excess kilograms, and secondly, trying to eat and get rid of food alone, they do not flaunt their habits.

Violations and changes in the habitual perception of food are an alarming symptom and require observation by a doctor. To help deal with poor appetite can:

gastroenterologist;
endocrinologist;
nutritionist;
psychotherapist.

Sometimes it is necessary to consult all four types of specialists for a comprehensive solution to the problem. The first thing to do is to make an appointment with your primary care physician. He, after the initial examination, will direct you to the necessary specialist.