Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology.CachexiaHow to say it:Cachexia(ka-SHEX-ee-ya)What it means: Wasting and malnourishment related to a disease.Where it comes from: Greek,kachexía, meaning “poor state"Ohio State UniversityWhere you might see or hear it: If you are diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer, your body might need to start burning a lot more energy. Sometimes, your body uses up so much energy that you become underweight and not nourished enough. If this happens, your provider might explain that it’s calledcachexia.The condition usually happens in people with cancer or diseases likeHIV/AIDS. It’s a little different from beingmalnourishedfrom starvation. You can have cachexia even if you’re eating—your body just needs so much energy that you may not be able to keep up. With cachexia, you’re also losing muscle, not just fat.When you might want to use it: If your loved ones are worried that you look “gaunt” and thin from your illness, they may try to get you to eat more. Even if you want to eat, itmight be challengingif you are very sick.It will help to tell your loved ones that cachexia is different from not eating enough. The disease that you have is putting so much demand on your body that the energy you get from food is being used up very fast.Why Do Some Seriously Ill Patients Lose Their Appetite?
Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology.
Cachexia
How to say it:Cachexia(ka-SHEX-ee-ya)
What it means: Wasting and malnourishment related to a disease.
Where it comes from: Greek,kachexía, meaning “poor state”
Ohio State University
Where you might see or hear it: If you are diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer, your body might need to start burning a lot more energy. Sometimes, your body uses up so much energy that you become underweight and not nourished enough. If this happens, your provider might explain that it’s calledcachexia.
The condition usually happens in people with cancer or diseases likeHIV/AIDS. It’s a little different from beingmalnourishedfrom starvation. You can have cachexia even if you’re eating—your body just needs so much energy that you may not be able to keep up. With cachexia, you’re also losing muscle, not just fat.
When you might want to use it: If your loved ones are worried that you look “gaunt” and thin from your illness, they may try to get you to eat more. Even if you want to eat, itmight be challengingif you are very sick.
It will help to tell your loved ones that cachexia is different from not eating enough. The disease that you have is putting so much demand on your body that the energy you get from food is being used up very fast.
Why Do Some Seriously Ill Patients Lose Their Appetite?
SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merriam-Webster.Definition of cachexia.
Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merriam-Webster.Definition of cachexia.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Merriam-Webster.Definition of cachexia.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
