I am 84. I had whipple surgery for a cancerous tumor in the duradenum 8 years ago. During 3 weeks in the hospital I lost 15 lbs. Soon after I lost another 15 lbs. Since then I slowly lost 20 lbs. I was on chemo for two years. There was a time my husband called me an eating machine. I couldn't stop eating, even getting up during the night to eat. But I never gained. I contribute that to the fact that I have 10 - 15 bowel movements a day. The more I eat the more I go to the bathroom.