Loss of Appetite

Loss of appetite (anorexia) implies that hunger is absent—a person with anorexia has no desire to eat. In contrast, a person with an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa is hungry but restricts food intake or vomits after eating because of overconcern about weight gain.

Most often, anorexia occurs in a person with a known underlying disorder. Unexplained chronic anorexia is a signal to the doctor that something is wrong. A thorough evaluation of the person’s symptoms and a complete physical examination often suggest a cause and help the doctor decide which tests are needed.