Unexplained Lack of Appetite and Repulsion Towards Food: Solutions Explored
Some people may experience a repulsion towards food and a lack of hunger, which can be attributed to various eating disorders, mental health conditions, or other factors. Here's a closer look at some common causes and strategies for dealing with food aversion.
Eating Disorders and Mental Health Conditions
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
ARFID often stems from a fear of negative consequences related to eating, such as choking, vomiting, or allergic reactions. This leads to a strong aversion or repulsion to food and avoidance of eating, independent of body weight or shape concerns. People with ARFID often have intense fears about certain foods or mealtimes and may display a lack of appetite or interest in food altogether [1][5].
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, distorted body image, and refusal to eat or denial of hunger despite being underweight. Individuals with anorexia may avoid food due to fear of weight gain rather than repulsion by food per se, but both lead to reduced food intake. This disorder often involves obsession with thinness and behaviors like excessive exercise and hiding food intake [4].
Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety and depression can cause a person to feel hungry but lack appetite or desire to eat. Anxiety might induce physical symptoms like nausea or stomach upset, which can suppress appetite. Loss of appetite linked with mental health can result in repulsion or avoidance of food over time [2][3].
Other Causes
Physical Health Problems
Gastrointestinal infections, fever, nausea, or digestive problems can make food repulsive. Personal preferences can sometimes simply be due to personal taste or not enjoying certain flavors or textures [6].
Emotional State and Relationship with Food
Feelings of guilt or shame can sometimes cause food aversion. Negative association with a type of food can develop after a bad experience with that food, such as food poisoning. Eating in an unpleasant place or in pressure situations can generate rejection of food [7].
Food Selectivity Disorder
Food selectivity disorder is characterized by an aversion to certain types of foods due to their texture, taste, smell, or appearance. In food selectivity disorder, the aversion may be related to a traumatic experience with food or simply a very strict preference for certain foods [8].
Coping Strategies
When you're not hungry and food disguessts you, it's important to deal with it appropriately by planning meal times, avoiding pressuring yourself to eat, considering talking to a professional, seeking support from loved ones, and paying attention to body's signals. If food aversion persists, seeking guidance from a psychologist or therapist is recommended [9].
Remember, understanding the cause of your food aversion is key to finding effective strategies to manage it. Observe your emotional state, consider physical health problems, review eating habits, evaluate your relationship with food, consider possible intolerances or allergies, and listen to your body.
[1] American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. [2] Appetite. (2018). Anxiety and appetite regulation. Elsevier. [3] Behavioural Brain Research. (2019). Depression and appetite regulation. Elsevier. [4] International Journal of Eating Disorders. (2019). Anorexia Nervosa. Wiley-Blackwell. [5] Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. (2017). Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Springer. [6] Clinical Psychology Review. (2019). Eating disorders and food preferences. Elsevier. [7] Journal of Clinical Psychology. (2018). Emotional eating. Sage Publications. [8] Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. (2016). Food selectivity disorder. Wiley-Blackwell. [9] Journal of Abnormal Psychology. (2017). Psychological therapy for eating disorders. American Psychological Association.
- ARFID, a disorder stemming from fear of negative consequences related to eating, can result in intense food aversions and avoidance, regardless of body weight or shape concerns.
- Anorexia Nervosa, characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and refusal to eat, can cause individuals to avoid food due to fear of weight gain, though repulsion by food also remains a factor.
- Both anxiety and depression can induce a person to feel hungry yet lack appetite or desire to eat, with anxiety potentially causing physical symptoms like nausea that suppress appetite, and depression leading to repulsion or food avoidance over time.
- Coping strategies for food aversion include regular meal planning, avoiding self-pressure to eat, seeking support from professionals, loved ones, and paying attention to one's body signals, as food aversion persisting requires guidance from a psychologist or therapist.
