Weight loss

When you get ill, you usually lose your appetite. However, when you are ill your nutritional requirements are often increased. Weight loss can be dangerous because it reduces your body’s ability to fight off infections and recover. Losing just 3% of your body weight when you don't want to can increase your risk of becoming very ill.

Dietitians can provide you with some good advice about maintaining your nutritional requirements if you are ill.

This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.