5th October marks the start of Malnutrition week. At APF we understand how loss of appetite can affect people with pulmonary fibrosis, often because of breathlessness or the side effects of anti-fibrotic treatments.
As a patient tells us:
“It’s been such a worry seeing my husband lose weight as his breathlessness has increased. Trying to find ways in which I can provide tasty, highly nutritious but easily digestible food takes up a lot of my time. Going back to full fat butter and cream after many years of watching our weight has been a small positive.”
What Is Malnutrition?
Malnutrition can be defined as deficiencies, imbalances, or excesses in a person’s dietary intake. It is affected by the quantity and quality of someone’s diet.
BAPEN, an organisation who raises awareness of malnutrition and provides support for individuals affected by the condition.
Louise Wright, CEO of Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis, says:
We are proud to be supporting UK Malnutrition Awareness Week this year by sharing information with our community about the risks, signs and symptoms of malnutrition.
We know that many people with pulmonary fibrosis struggle with nutrition, and in the midst of dealing with a difficult illness this is an added complication that makes things harder. We want people to be able to spot when weight loss or appetite difficulties might be becoming a problem, and to feel confident asking for help.
Here is a list of resources that could be helpful if you are concerned about malnutrition, or want to find out more:
- More about Malnutrition Awareness Week