Outsmart YOUR HUNGER

Do you really need to eat, or are you actually just bored or tired? Here’s how to tame your hunger triggers and take control

- SUSIE BURRELL

When was the last time you genuinely felt really, really hungry? Although hunger is the primary physiological cue to tell us we need more food, very few among us eat solely according to hunger. Rather, we eat because food is in front of us, because it is a meal time, because we are bored or because we are scared we might get hungry later. Failing to eat according to hunger means we are at risk of chronic overeating. Over time, this means we eat more and more, and program our belly and our head into thinking we need far more food than we actually do. So if you know your hunger management could do with a little work, here are some reasons why hunger is important – and easy ways you can learn to differentiate the hunger you are experiencing so you are able to take control of your hunger, and your weight, for good.

WHAT IS HUNGER?

Hunger is the physiological drive to seek out food – ranging in description from a general feeling of emptiness to extreme abdominal discomfort. It is driven by hormones, along with our brain signalling when blood glucose levels are low and fuel stores have become depleted. The experience of hunger varies significantly among individuals, with some people rarely feeling hunger, while others will claim to feel incessantly hungry. Women, specifically, are known to experience hunger more frequently than men. One of the reasons hypothesised for this is women appear to have a stronger biological drive to maintain fuel reserves,​ particularly throughout their reproductive years. The average person will feel hungry every 4-5 hours after consuming a balanced meal but, in an era when frequent snacking reigns supreme, it is easy to see why we get used to eating a little too regularly.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROGRAMMED AND PHYSIOLOGICAL HUNGER