I chose to research about how ones diet can affect their body when going through treatment for any type of cancer. I felt the need to research this more because I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with Hotchkins disease, and has been rapidly loosing weight since her first chemotherapy treatment. Loosing weight while you have cancer or while you are going through treatment for your cancer can be your worst enemy, it can even be deadly (AICR). This statement is why one must do their best to keep eating even though they may feel they have no appetite, they must enable their body to help fight off the cancer and provide the energy to do so. Your diet is an important part of your treatment for cancer. Eating the right kinds of foods before, during, and after your treatment can help you feel better and stay stronger.
"Food contributes much of the quality of our lives and is more that just a physical need" (Cancerbackup.com). If one really thinks about it, we can see that a significant part of our life revolves around food, and the social capacity that it enables one to have. If one does not eat or eat frequently then not only is the body suffering, so is ones social life. Many people with cancer experience eating problems and there are many ways that one with cancer can overcome the difficulties of eating, staying health, and maintaining a social life. Cancer itself or its treatments may make one loose their appetite. Some individuals find that they do not feel hungry, or feel full soon after starting a meal. Others find that food makes them feel sick or they notice a change in the taste of some foods (AICR). However if patient can support a diet such as the "build up diet" suggested by many cancer support centers, it enables the individual to provide the body with enough energy for the treatment to work properly and the body to not go into a serious fatigue. There are types of cancer that can make your body use more energy, even though a person may not be very active, this can make one loose weight even though they feel like they are eating well.
