What is it called when someone doesn't want to eat?

January 5, 2026 •

4 min read

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, eating disorders are serious, often life-threatening illnesses marked by severe disturbances to one's eating behaviors. So, what is it called when someone doesn't want to eat? It's a question with several answers, ranging from a medical symptom called anorexia to specific psychiatric conditions like anorexia nervosa and ARFID.

Quick Summary

The medical term for a loss of appetite is anorexia, distinct from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. Other conditions like ARFID also involve food avoidance. Causes vary widely, encompassing physical, psychological, and situational factors that warrant professional assessment.

Key Points

Medical Anorexia: The term 'anorexia' medically refers to a loss of appetite and can be a symptom of various physical illnesses, stress, or medication side effects.
Anorexia Nervosa: This is a severe eating disorder characterized by an intense psychological fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image, leading to self-starvation.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): ARFID involves avoiding or restricting food due to sensory issues, fear of consequences, or low interest in food, and is not motivated by weight or body shape concerns.
Psychological Causes: Conditions like depression, anxiety, and grief can significantly suppress appetite and lead to disordered eating patterns.
Chronic Illness: Long-term diseases such as cancer, kidney disease, and heart failure can cause chronic loss of appetite, sometimes leading to a condition called cachexia.
Professional Diagnosis: It is crucial to seek a medical or mental health professional to determine the correct cause and treatment, as the term for not wanting to eat varies greatly depending on the context.
Treatment Varies: Approaches can range from dietary adjustments for minor issues to comprehensive therapy and medical intervention for severe eating disorders.

The question, "What is it called when someone doesn't want to eat?" reveals a complex issue with multiple potential explanations. The most immediate answer in medical contexts is anorexia, which simply means a loss of appetite. However, this term is easily confused with the far more severe and well-known psychiatric eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and other related conditions such as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

Anorexia: A Medical Symptom

In clinical medicine, anorexia is not a disease but a symptom characterized by a decreased desire or loss of appetite. It can be a temporary state caused by a wide range of issues, or it can be a persistent problem resulting from an underlying chronic condition. When hunger signals are suppressed, a person may feel full quickly or develop an aversion to food's sight, smell, or taste.

Common physical causes of anorexia

Infections: Acute illnesses like the flu, pneumonia, or stomach bugs often cause a temporary loss of appetite as the body's immune system fights the infection.
Chronic Diseases: Long-term conditions such as cancer, heart failure, liver disease, or kidney failure can alter a person's metabolism and suppress appetite over time.
Medications: Many prescription drugs, including antibiotics, opioids, and some antidepressants, can list loss of appetite as a side effect.
Aging: Changes in hormone levels, digestive function, and sense of taste and smell can lead to a natural decline in appetite in older adults.
Digestive Issues: Gastrointestinal problems like constipation, gastritis, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can reduce the desire to eat.

Anorexia Nervosa: A Psychological Disorder

This is a severe, life-threatening eating disorder, not merely a loss of appetite. Anorexia nervosa is driven by a deep-seated psychological fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of one's body size. Individuals with this disorder may feel hunger but intentionally starve or restrict their food intake. The condition is associated with severe physical and mental health consequences.

Key features of anorexia nervosa

Severe Food Restriction: Drastically limiting calories and avoiding certain types of food.
Intense Fear of Weight Gain: An extreme preoccupation with weight, body shape, and diet.
Distorted Body Image: Seeing oneself as overweight even when dangerously underweight.
Compensatory Behaviors: Some individuals may also engage in purging behaviors like self-induced vomiting or excessive exercise.
Physical Signs: Can include extreme weight loss, fatigue, thinning hair, and sensitivity to cold.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Another condition that explains why someone might not want to eat is ARFID. Unlike anorexia nervosa, ARFID is not linked to concerns about body weight or shape. Instead, it involves an eating or feeding disturbance stemming from other issues. The lack of interest in eating can lead to significant nutritional deficiencies or failure to gain weight.

ARFID is often caused by one of three factors:

Sensory Issues: An extreme dislike of certain tastes, smells, colors, or textures of food.
Fear of Consequences: Anxiety about potential negative outcomes from eating, such as a fear of choking, vomiting, or an allergic reaction.
Lack of Interest: A general disinterest in eating or low appetite.

Comparing Anorexia, Anorexia Nervosa, and ARFID

To clarify the distinctions, the table below highlights the key differences between these medical and psychological terms.


Feature	Anorexia (Symptom)	Anorexia Nervosa (Disorder)	Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Primary Cause	Physical, psychological, or environmental factors (e.g., illness, stress, medication).	Intense psychological fear of weight gain and distorted body image.	Sensory issues, fear of adverse consequences, or lack of interest in food.
Relationship to Hunger	Lack of hunger or desire to eat, feeling full quickly.	May feel hungry but intentionally restricts or denies food intake.	May have no interest in food or avoids it for non-weight-related reasons.
Underlying Motivation	No specific motivation related to body image or weight.	Driven by a desire for thinness and an intense fear of becoming overweight.	Not motivated by a fear of fatness or body image disturbance.
Typical Duration	Can be temporary, resolving with the underlying cause, or chronic.	A chronic and serious mental illness requiring specialized treatment.	Can develop in childhood and persist into adulthood.

Other Mental and Emotional Factors

Beyond formal diagnoses, various psychological factors can cause a person to lose their appetite or avoid eating. Emotional distress, stress, grief, depression, and anxiety can all significantly disrupt eating patterns. Stress, for example, can trigger a release of the stress hormone cortisol, which can suppress appetite over time. Furthermore, social anxiety or specific traumatic experiences related to food can lead to disordered eating behaviors.

How to Approach a Lack of Appetite

If you or someone you know is experiencing a prolonged lack of desire to eat, it is crucial to seek professional help. The appropriate approach depends heavily on the underlying cause. For simple, temporary loss of appetite due to a cold, home care such as eating smaller, more frequent meals can help. For underlying conditions or emotional factors, a healthcare provider can develop a proper treatment plan. Early intervention is key, especially in cases where a severe eating disorder is suspected.

Conclusion

The name for when someone doesn't want to eat can be as simple as the medical term anorexia for a loss of appetite, or it can point to complex psychiatric illnesses like anorexia nervosa and ARFID. The distinction is vital for understanding the underlying issue and seeking appropriate help. It is never just about food; it is about addressing the root cause, whether it is a temporary illness, a chronic condition, or a serious mental health disorder. If you are concerned, consulting a healthcare professional is always the right step. For more on the medical aspects of appetite regulation, you can read about the complexities at the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Frequently Asked Questions

The medical term for a loss of appetite, or not feeling hungry, is anorexia. This is a symptom that can be caused by various factors, including temporary illness, chronic disease, or medication.

Anorexia is the medical term for the symptom of appetite loss, while anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder driven by a psychological fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image, where individuals intentionally restrict food intake.

Yes, stress and other emotional factors like anxiety, grief, and depression can lead to a loss of appetite. Hormonal changes caused by stress can suppress hunger signals.

ARFID, or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, is an eating disorder where a person restricts their food intake due to sensory issues, a fear of negative consequences from eating, or a general lack of interest in food, unrelated to body image concerns.

You should see a doctor if your loss of appetite lasts longer than a week, is accompanied by unintentional weight loss, or occurs alongside other concerning symptoms like depression or nausea. Early intervention is crucial for severe conditions.

Yes, many medications can cause a loss of appetite as a side effect. Common examples include antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and some antidepressants.

Eating disorders can affect people of all ages, including children. Conditions like ARFID and anorexia nervosa have been observed in younger children, often with different signs and symptoms than in adults.