Body changes
Many illnesses can affect the body’s ability to use the food that we eat to make energy. This can make you feel exhausted and weak, and no longer able to fight. Your illness may prevent your body from working normally, and may cause a change in the chemical balance in the body and sometimes a build up of waste chemicals.
These chemical changes can make people begin to lose weight, no matter how much they eat. Your appetite for food will gradually reduce. Your appearance may change and you may also start to look older. Once a person stops eating they usually only live for a couple of weeks.
As you become weaker and less able to do things, just trying to carry out ordinary daily activities such as getting up and dressing can make you feel exhausted. Your muscles may waste away. You will feel gradually more and more tired and will need to rest or sleep more during the day.