# Why Dementia Patients Forget Hunger
Dementia affects the brain in ways that go far beyond memory loss. One of the most challenging symptoms that caregivers face is when dementia patients stop eating properly. This happens because the disease damages the parts of the brain that control hunger and appetite.
The brain has a special region called the hypothalamus that manages hunger signals. When dementia damages this area, patients lose the ability to recognize when their body needs food. They may go hours without eating and feel no urge to eat at all. In early-stage dementia, this reduced food consumption is particularly common. The damage to the brain’s hunger control centers means patients experience early satiety, which means they feel full very quickly, even after eating only small amounts.
Beyond forgetting hunger itself, dementia patients face other eating-related challenges. Many forget how to use utensils properly or lose the ability to feed themselves. Some patients simply forget that eating is something they need to do. This combination of forgotten hunger signals and lost eating skills can lead to serious weight loss and malnutrition.
The damage to the hypothalamus can affect eating in different ways depending on which signals are disrupted. While some patients lose their appetite entirely, others may experience the opposite problem. Damage to the inhibitory signals in the hypothalamus can actually cause overeating in some cases. However, the more common problem in dementia is undereating and weight loss.
Caregivers can help by switching to finger foods that are easy to eat without utensils. Making mealtimes more enjoyable and giving patients extra time to eat can also help. Some patients respond better to smaller, more frequent meals rather than three large meals per day. The key is understanding that forgetting to eat is not a choice but a direct result of how dementia damages the brain’s appetite control systems.
Sources
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.70078?af=R
https://www.aol.com/bruce-willis-dementia-brings-light-020016116.html
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/disorders-of-nutrition/undernutrition/undernutrition
