The Reason You’re Under-Eating

There are a number of reasons for under-eating connected to a person’s mood, genetic conditions and illnesses.

The following disorders and diseases are just a few related causes of under-eating.

Anorexia Nervosa

One of the main reasons for under-eating is attributed to anorexia nervosa. This eating disorder causes victims to be afraid of weight gain and leads them to control food consumption. Those with anorexia typically lose weight that is negatively disproportionate to their height by under-eating.

Signs of anorexia nervosa include brittle hair, low blood pressure, anemia, low potassium and dry skin.

Depression

Those with depression have a tendency to either overeat or under-eat, which is often one of the main indicators of the illness. The illness is often connected to another, such as diabetes, AIDS or cancer.

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can provide serotonin that the brain may lack in sufferers of depression and therefore counteract both depression and its symptom of under-eating.

Amphetamines

Amphetamines are synthetic stimulants that affect the central nervous system, often creating a temporary sense of energy, an increased heart beat, increased stamina, chest pains and heart palpitations. These drugs can also suppress appetite for up to six hours, leading to under-eating.

Excessive Dieting

Continuous dieting can sometimes encourage a lifestyle filled with under-eating. This type of lifestyle is not as severe as anorexia nervosa, but can still lead to negative feelings after eating a meal.

Excessive dieters might limit their food intake to certain types of food, like fish and rice, and decline to eat other types over a period of time. Eating this way can weaken a person’s immune system, destabilize the metabolism and cause wavering cycles of weight loss and gain.

Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is the least-common disease connected to under-eating because of its rare diagnosis. It occurs when amyloid proteins build up in a person’s bodily organs, causing a disease that takes a toll on the heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys.

Source: Right Diagnosis