Can Faith Improve Appetite in Elderly Patients?
Many older adults face a common problem: loss of appetite. This can lead to weight loss, weakness, and other health issues. Doctors often look for ways to help, like better nutrition or medicine. But could faith, such as religious beliefs or spiritual practices, play a role in boosting appetite? While direct studies on this topic are limited, some research hints at connections between mindset, awareness, and eating habits that might link to faith.[1][2]
Appetite in seniors can change for many reasons. Age-related issues like slower digestion, dental problems, or medicines often reduce hunger. One study on Japanese adults aged 65 and older found appetite varies by season, with lower hunger in colder months.[3] Chronic pain adds to this, as it brings side effects from drugs and stomach troubles that make eating less appealing.[4] These factors show why appetite loss is widespread in the elderly.
Faith might help through positive effects on the mind and body. Religious routines, like prayer or community meals in churches or temples, can create comfort and routine. This may reduce stress, which often kills appetite. For example, practices tied to faith can build eating awareness, helping people notice hunger better. A study compared older adults with high and low eating awareness. Those with high awareness had better physical fitness and body composition, suggesting mindful eating supports health.[2] Faith often encourages mindfulness, gratitude for food, or shared meals, which could spark interest in eating.
Fasting linked to faith, such as during Ramadan, offers clues too. A recent study on young adults practicing intermittent fasting saw a short rise in hedonic hunger, the desire for tasty food, at the start. But over time, hunger levels returned to normal as people adapted.[1] In elderly patients, gentle faith-based fasting or breaking fasts with communal meals might train the appetite without harm. Though this study was on younger people, the adaptation idea could apply to seniors if done safely under doctor guidance.
Experts note that spiritual support improves overall well-being in older age. Faith communities provide social ties, fighting loneliness that dampens appetite. Simple acts like saying grace before meals might make food more enjoyable by adding meaning. While no large trials prove faith directly fixes appetite loss, combining it with medical care shows promise in holistic health approaches.
Patients and families can try small steps. Encourage attending faith group dinners, using prayer to focus on food’s blessings, or discussing hunger with spiritual leaders alongside doctors. Always check with healthcare providers first, as individual needs vary.
Sources
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1718105/full
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12729137/
https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/41CB3A02164FAFF4062625F874158269/core-reader
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00981389.2025.2604502?src=
