Understanding Appetite Loss

We usually talk about the increased appetite as a growing health concern. However, it’s counterpart-loss of appetite, is also becoming a growing health risk, specially among teenagers, and elderly. Let us have a look at the possible origin of this condition in today’s post.

The pleasant anticipation of eating that we call appetite is controlled by two centers in the brain: one is hypothalamus, which stimulates the release of hunger-producing hormones until hunger is satisfied;the other is the cerebral cortex, the center of intellectual and sensory function. Thus, a healthy appetite reflects both an unconscious response and learned behavior.

Many disorders and circumstances cause a loss of appetite; most are temporary conditions, such as a cold, an upset stomach, dental problems, or stress. A persistent loss of appetite, however, can reflect a more serious illness; for example, clinical depression, anemia, kidney disease, AIDS, or cancer.

In unusual cases, appetite loss stems from nutritional deficiencies, usually of vitamin C, thiamine, niacin, biotin, and zinc. Excessive drinking of alcohol not only reduces appetite but may also cause nutritional deficiencies. Smoking is another activity that blunts appetite.

Therefore, it is essential to understand the real causative factor behind your loss of appetite, and it is necessary to treat the underlying disorder to avoid any health problems due to various nutritional deficiencies. We will continue our discussion with the possible ways to improve your appetite in the next post.