Appetite Problems

Having a healthy appetite is your body's way of letting you know when it's time to eat. Eating low-fat meals regularly throughout the day will assure you that you are feeding your body when it's hungry. Finding balance between eating the right amount of foods is crucial to overall health. Eating too much or too little can both be a hazard to your health. If you are experiencing problems with your appetite, it could be the sign of an underlying medical problem, notes MedlinePlus.

Causes

Your appetite can be overactive given a variety of reasons. Causes of an increase in appetite include certain medications you are taking, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, premenstrual syndrome and bulimia. If you think your medication, such as steroids, migraine medications or birth control pills, may be causing your appetite to increase, talk to your doctor about switching prescriptions or adjusting dosage. Diabetes can also cause an increase in appetite, especially if your blood glucose levels are out of control. Hyperthyroidism or an overactive thyroid can also cause you to want to eat more often. Premenstrual syndrome can give you intense food cravings a few weeks or days before your period. If you suffer from an eating disorder, such as bulimia, you may have emotional ties to your eating pattern causing your appetite to increase. If you are pregnant, you will see an increase in appetite throughout your pregnancy.

Symptoms

The most obvious symptom of an increased appetite is the desire to want to eat often throughout the day. Most nutrition labels are based on 2,000 calories a day. You should split those calories up throughout the day to assure that you are maintaining a healthy metabolism. Eating impulsively can also be caused by an appetite problem and if you find yourself eating for emotional reasons or because you have an intense craving for a particular food, you may find yourself eating over 2,000 calories per day. If you overeat frequently, you may also experience gastrointestinal discomfort including nausea, bloating, heartburn and diarrhea.

Complications

A major complication of an increased appetite is weight gain. Weight gain can lead to further health issues including obesity. Added weight gain also puts you at an increased risk for certain health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, hypertension and certain types of cancers. Eating impulsively or eating too much of the wrong foods, such as sugar, can also affect your dental health which can lead to cavities and periodontal disease.

Solution

If you exercise or are engaged in intense physical activity daily, you may have to increase your caloric intake, which is normal. In most cases, your appetite will increase if it feels you need more fuel because of rigorous activity. In this case, you should fill up on foods from the protein group, such as lean meats, nuts and beans. Seek medical care to rule out disease that is causing appetite changes. If you believe you have an eating disorder, your doctor may refer to your therapist or psychologist who can help with cognitive behavioral therapy as well as other treatments to assist with keeping your eating under control and help you regain a healthy lifestyle. Visit your dentist bi-annually for an oral care check-up to make sure your increased appetite has not affected your teeth and gums.