Emaciation

Under inanition ( " wasting " ) refers to a reduction in body weight below 80% of normal weight. Causes may be, inter alia:

• Malnutrition or malnutrition
• Eating disorders
• Disorders of food absorption and / or recycling
• Increased nutritional needs of major diseases
• Achieving long-term fasting
• Mental disorders (eg, anorexia nervosa)

When inanition only the fatty tissue of the fat storage depots and skeletal muscles are broken down ( catabolic state ), but the structural fat is still maintained. The changes are not reversible. Without removing the causes an inanition but soon leads to irreversible changes ( cachexia ).