Do Alzhiemer sufferer's lose their appetite and thus weight loss?

When my dad had alz, I noticed my mom was a stickler in adhereing to a low cholesterol diet, she was notorious to making sure dad ate .because it is the rule. If your parent loves fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy..make it for them. Don't. Control what they eat...if they like eggs with bacon or sausage for breakfast..make it for them. If diabetes is an issue then you will have to get more creative.

jimcarbone1029, have you had her checked on her any other medical conditions that might affect her appetite and weight loss? Here are some examples of my husband’s case; he lost about 10lb in one year, but he is in better shape now. He does not want to eat when he is constipated. When he has toothache, he eats very slowly. When his blood sugar is high, he does not eat. When he used to have some medications that made him feel sluggish, he did not want to eat. He Wows when he sees colorful meals. I think it does not matter either AD or not; I think, our appetite and preference change as we age.

Aside from memory loss, long term care alzheimer's patients often suffer from confusion in place and time, thus, this result to lack of desire to eat because they don't have the initiative to eat because it also affects their judgement and initiative.

Check out this comprehensive infographic, it contains other symptoms of Alzheimer's so you can have better understanding of the illness: http://www.infolongtermcare.org/iltc-news/infographic-all-about-alzheimers-disease/

One thing that also can reduce the desire to eat...the sense of smell. It is a very important part of eating. If you have ever had a cold where you couldn't smell, food doesn't have much flavor. You eat with your eyes first then your nose. My mom had never eaten Indian or Exotic foods before. I have started making very aromatic foods with lots of flavor...and vibrant colors. Curry with chicken, cauliflower, and garbanzo beans. Or a Moroccan chicken stew...it is packed with flavor. My mom loves it and will come down for seconds. Besides curry cinnamon turmeric are all very healthy for you. So try some different kinds of flavorful food.

thanks for your reply.....jim

Hi Jim, Alz patients often forget how to eat and the part of the brain that tells them they are hungry doesn't work the way it used to! In addition, drinks like Ensure (while they are great to have in your bag of tricks) can make the person feel VERY full and therefore may keep them from eating their melas. Sometimes there is a swallowing problem as well. A speech therapist can do a swallow evaluation.

Try for high value items that are easy to eat -- scrambled eggs, add some beans to your meals, etc. In Memory care facilities, they weigh each resident every month. Declines in weight are evaluated and supplements added.