I'm never hungry & seeing/smelling food makes me sick

[TheCheeseLady]

I used to always love food. I never had a problem with it. I'll admit that I was and still am a picky eater, but for the past 6-7 years, I've never really been hungry. I seemed to have forgotten what hunger feels like.

I have no problem with my wieght or with the way I look. I'm active because I play sports year round. I'm currently 17 years old and this never being hungry thing tends to get in the way of many activities. Being that most people my age enjoy going out to eat or pigging out at a friends house, it poses many problems for me.

I can't eat big meals at one sitting, and I must force myself to eat small snacky stuff. Some times throughout the day, if I see or smell food, it can make me sick to my stomach. I've been to the doctor concerning the stomach issues, but the only thing they came up with was that I had a little more acid in my stomach than normal. That wasn't what was making me not hungry though.

I went to a psychologist just to see if it was something to do with, well...me. But nothing came out of it. It is quite frustrating to deal with and nobody seems to understand. Some people even take it as rude when I don't eat. I guess I could live with the eating snacky stuff throughout the day thing, but my biggest concern is me being sick to my stomach most of the time.

I feel sick every morning. The sickness usually tapers off by the afternoon. Some people I've talked to said to try to eat breakfast, since I never do/can. I've tried to force myself, but it jsut seems to make matters worse. Are there any people out there with some of the same symptoms? Are there anyways to stop myself from feeling nauseous?

[moonsilverk]

Hi I just recently started up with the same thing... I'm a 17 year old girl and everyone thinks it's strange how a food-lover suddenly looses her appetite... Most foods and smells make me feel like crap, especially greasy foods. The only foods I can eat is hot tea with lots of sugar and sugary pastries. I can eat other things, too, but only in nibbles. When I skip a meal and then eat later, even when it's a small amount, the feeling is terrible. I get a wierd form of heart burn with it too. It acts like heart burn but instead of a burning sensation, it's cold and I feel like I drank a gallon of water. I still get the burps like normal heart burn but other than that... yeah... I've had a past with anxiety and depression, but the last time I was really anxious, I couldn't fill my stomache fast enough so I doubt it's anxiety. Hoping for some advice on what it might be and how I can eat again. Thanks~

[alli336]

I have had these same symptoms for the past year. After discussing this issue with my doctor, a neurologist, a nurse practitioner, and 2 psychologists, we have come to the general consensus that it all relates to my depression. I am so focused on my issues dealing with depression that food is the last thing on my mind. However, the longer I go without eating, the sicker I feel and the harder it is to eat again. The best thing you can do for yourself is continue to stay active, reach out to others, and maybe see a psychologist on a regular basis to figure out where the problem is really coming from. Good luck to you!

[smardiamond]

Cannabis is the only way. I'm a 21 year old full time student/ part time worker. I have had the same symptoms now for about 4 months. Food grosses me out. I get super sick to my stomach and If I don't smoke then I don't even think about eating. I also work at a resturant, when I'm in the back the smells of all the different foods make me sick to my stomach. I never have energy, it honestly is a struggle everyday. I just wanna go back to eating normal and having a normal appetite. I am super nausues in the morning from  6-9am usually. After that I dont have nausia, I just have 0 appetite.

[QuanYin]

Your body is wise. Listen to it. If you don't like the smell of cooked food- don't eat it. If you don't like the smell of meat- don't eat it.
Eat raw vegetarian foods- they smell great, your body will love them and you will be healthy as long as you learn a little about raw food nutrition and listen to your body.

[ysimon]

Eat when u hungry, don't when you are not. When you feel like eating choose wholesome healthy food. Love your body!

[Badlilgrrlie]

I second the getting your zinc levels tested comment. I used to have a lot of off and on years where my appetite was either normal or non-existent. Being thirty now I can clearly see that during the times my appetite was gone, I was also eating a poor diet (mostly because I was poor, lol) and often partaking in other unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking. Ramen noodles don't exact top the nutritional charts and I believe I read somewhere that smoking and drinking can negatively affect your zinc levels as well, so I had a triple whammy going on. Zinc supplements helped restore my appetite and as a bonus it helped clear up my face.  I also find that it relaxes me (like a high spaced out feeling) but I don't think that's a common or expected side affect. Of course, the long term solution was to eat healthier whole foods, quit smoking and limit my drinking.  I wouldn't recommend zinc supplements as a long term solution since they can deplete other elements your body needs. If you work to create a healthy lifestyle, your body will get all that it needs in order to function well. If you want to try zinc out to see if it helps, I'd recommend 50mgs daily and cutting them in half to 25mgs if they cause you any discomfort (tummy problems). You MUST take WITH food because it will absolutely cause an upset stomach otherwise. Good luck!