What it is
Reduced interest in eating or complete indifference to food — which may reflect depression, illness, medication effects, sensory changes, or specific eating difficulties.
Emerging evidence
Apathy To Food
Reduced interest in eating or complete indifference to food — which may reflect depression, illness, medication effects, sensory changes, or specific eating difficulties.
CategoryDigestive
Reviewed by Internal Medical Editorial Team · Editorial Health Review
26 March 2026
At a glance
Apathy To Food at a glance
Commonly experienced as
- The experience varies by cause. In depression it often feels like the pleasure has been removed from something previously enjoyable. In illness it is more like a complete absence of hunger. Some describe having to remind themselves to eat, or eating from obligation. The social dimension of food — meals with others — is often lost alongside the sensory pleasure.
