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palladias comments on Open Thread, May 26 - June 1, 2014 - Less Wrong
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Dear hivemind: Any suggested interventions/experiments for a lack of appetite?
I haven't felt hungry in at least a month. I still eat, obviously, but I do it out of conscientiousness rather than desire, and have about one meal a day, with a couple of snacks that probably don't add up to a full meal throughout the day. I've had periods of no appetite before, but they usually resolved themselves within a week or so. I tried not eating when I wasn't hungry, assuming I'd wind up hungry, but this just resulted in my not eating at all for a day and a half.
Suggestions?
If you've been losing a significant amount of weight as result (and weren't overweight to begin with) I'd suggest seeing a doctor ASAP.
Not that I've noticed (I don't have a scale). But my clothes seem to fit about the same/don't need tailoring.
I'd suggest "see a doctor" as the most obvious intervention.
My GP is in a different state than I currently live in. I mentioned periods of hungerlessness before (the shorter ones) and she said I should make sure to eat anyway, which I mostly do.
If you're newly in love, that'll usually decrease appetite. The effect peters out after a few months, no intervention needed.
Really? That's interesting. What's the hypothesis on why this occurs?
The pop sci explanation is that love gives you dopamine and dopamine decreases appetite - but appetite loss is also a reaction to loss of a loved one so I don't think that's very convincing.
The obvious suggestion is just to exercise more.
Well, fasting for a day is generally considered good for one's health.
It's clear that LessWrong disagrees with you, but in the spirit of challenging my assumptions I'm asking you for any substantive sources that support your claim.
Or less substantively, where did you hear/why do you believe that?
Relevant keyword is intermittent fasting
Marijuana is at least worth trying (if easily available).
Suggestion appreciated, but I'm not interesting in that for personal and professional reasons.
And after that did you persist in not being hungry?
Were you suffering consequences of lack of food (low energy, irritability, etc.) while not feeling hungry?
Still wasn't hungry after not eating. And no side effects that I noticed.
You don't say that this is causing you any problems. Is it? Do you find yourself as physically and mentally fit as previously?
Yeah, no problems besides confusion (and my grocery bill is lower). But it's sufficiently odd that it seems with investigating/fixing. Plus it means I enjoy eating a lot less, since I don't desire to eat, so it just feels like a duty that costs me money.
I agree with Daniel_Burfoot about exercise. 20 minutes of low-intensity cardio exercise is usually enough to increase appetite. Bodybuidlers will often do a small amount of cardio on their off-days to keep appetite up.
You could also eat more foods that are less satiating. Fructose for example (while probably bad for you) doesn't trigger an insulin response and does not contribute to satiety, while fiber-rich foods are more filling. A google search can help you find the right kinds of foods.
Try keeping food nearby? Have food in the house that's easy to prepare? Buy tastier food (even at the expense of healthiness)?