Loss Of Appetite From Anxiety And Stress? Here’s What You Should Do

Many of us have heard of the term stress eating or emotional eating, which is when one goes on an eating spree or binge-eating when they are stressed or upset about something. However, stress and anxiety can have the opposite effect in many people too, where they do not feel like eating anything when suffering from anxiety and stress. Why it occurs, what causes it will be discussed in this article.

There are many people who binge-eat or eat rich foods full of sugar, fats and carbs when they are anxious or stressed; however, there are also people who lose their appetite when facing extreme stress and anxiety ⁽¹⁾. These kinds of people who lose their appetite when anxious are lesser in number when compared to people who respond to stress by binge-eating.

The Fight-Or-Flight Response Makes You Think Only About the Source of Anxiety and Stress

According to experts, this issue can be tacked all the way back to when the fight-or-flight response was originated. Centuries ago, people faced stress or anxiety when faced with a stressful, fearful or uncomfortable situation, such as getting bitten by a snake or chased by a tiger. The response to such situations differs from person to person. There are some people who when faced with a tiger will freeze on the spot; some who will run from the tiger as fast as possible and a few of them may even attack the tiger.

This same rule applies to why some people overeat and why some lose their appetite when anxious or stressed ⁽²⁾.

People who respond to stress by losing their appetite are the ones who would charge at the tiger. The ones who will run away tend to overeat and make themselves more relaxed and happy by doing so.  People having appetite loss are so affected by their stress or anxiety that they cannot think of doing anything at all including important tasks like eating. Stress hormones, such as corticotropin-releasing factor are released due to the flight-or-fight response and this suppresses the appetite ⁽³⁾.

People who are facing heavy deadlines or other such responsibilities get so consumed with anxiety that they are completely focused on finishing the task and do not eat meals and don’t even realize that they have missed meals.

The Loss of Appetite Can Occur As A Result Of Physical Symptoms from Anxiety and Stress

There are many people who have no appetite for food when they are under extreme stress and lose a lot of weight. They have no desire or interest in food and eat only the bare minimum required for survival. Even drinking water is a chore for them.

The physical symptoms associated with anxiety cause some people to lose their appetite and the thought of eating anything is unappealing for them. Many a times stress presents manifests itself via physical symptoms, such as tense muscles, nausea, knot in the stomach etc. all this makes causes difficulty in being attuned with hunger and fullness cues especially if someone is feeling intensely nauseous from anxiety.

The increase in the cortisol hormone, which is the stress hormone, also causes the loss of appetite. The increased cortisol causes increased production of acid in the stomach for rapid digestion of food in preparation for ‘fight-or-flight,’ which is led by adrenaline and decreases the appetite ⁽⁴⁾. The increased acid production can also lead to ulcers, more so when someone does not eat.

How to Regain Your Lost Appetite during Anxiety and Stress

It is easier said than done, but during the times of stress, one should make an active effort to eat healthy and stay active. If the idea of eating regular food is not appealing then try to eat something which is your favorite food. Snack through the day on healthy things like nuts, yogurt, dark chocolate, protein bars and shakes, soups, salads, fruits etc. Staying active by trying to exercise or going for walks will not only help in increasing the appetite, but also helps in managing stress and anxiety.

Doing yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, keeping a journal, all this helps in relieving anxiety and stress ⁽⁵⁾. Try to take part in sports, such as volley ball or tennis, you will instantly feel better after a session of playing a game and sweating and will reach out to eat food to replenish yourself.

Some of the ways to get your appetite back which was lost as a result of stress or anxiety are:

Identify what is making you anxious

Identifying the stressors, which are causing your loss of appetite, will help in directly addressing the root of the problem. You can also consult a therapist to navigate through your issues and in identifying what is causing your anxiety and how to manage it. Managing your stress will help in reducing its physical symptoms and slowly you will regain your lost appetite. Symptoms, such as nausea can be related to stress and anxiety and even though it is not a good feeling to have, one should motivate oneself to eat and try to think positive.

Always eat on time

The hunger and fullness cues get regulated only when the meals are taken on a consistent time daily. Keeping disciplined eating habits will help in managing the loss of appetite caused by the stress.

Get Sufficient Sleep

It is important to get good quality and good quantity of sleep, as sleep is important in managing stress and lack of appetite ⁽⁶⁾. Sleeping well will automatically enable to face your fears and stressors with more confidence and keep you relaxed so you can eat on time ⁽⁷⁾.

Eat Your Favorite Foods or the Ones You Can Tolerate

In periods of extreme stress and anxiety one does not like to eat elaborate meals; so you should eat simple and easy to make foods, which you like and find appetizing.

Conclusion

Stress and anxiety are the root cause of many ills in life and one of such which may not seem alarming, but is essential for survival is food or the lack of which is caused by excessive anxiety. Always try to look at the bigger picture and think positive. Staying active helps in managing the stress levels and also helps with the loss of appetite. Consulting a therapist, eating what you like, meditating, breathing exercises, journaling are some of the things which will help in reducing stress and anxiety and ergo help with appetite also.

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