Why do people living with cancer lose weight and muscle?
Weight loss due to cancer is different from weight loss due to dieting. Certain types of cancer cause changes in the body that result in decreased appetite, burning more calories than normal and increased breakdown of lean body mass. When your body fights cancer, this response can continue indefinitely. The cancer produces substances that alter the metabolism of protein, carbohydrates and fat, and cause your body to burn calories faster than you can ordinarily replace them. If you do not address these metabolic changes, eating more food or using conventional nutritional drinks may not be enough to prevent or reverse your weight and muscle loss.
