{"id":1106,"date":"2023-01-24T15:24:46","date_gmt":"2023-01-24T20:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1106"},"modified":"2024-12-11T17:29:14","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T22:29:14","slug":"what-drives-us-to-eat-hunger-vs-appetite","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/chapter\/what-drives-us-to-eat-hunger-vs-appetite\/","title":{"raw":"What Drives Us to Eat? Hunger vs. Appetite","rendered":"What Drives Us to Eat? Hunger vs. Appetite"},"content":{"raw":"<h1>Hunger vs. Appetite<\/h1>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1107\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1706\" height=\"2560\" \/>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">When people think about hunger and appetite, they often use the terms interchangeably. However, these terms are not interchangeable.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The simplest way to differentiate between the two is that <strong>hunger is physiological<\/strong>, whereas <strong>appetite is psychological<\/strong>. So when you see the dog staring longingly at that lovely tart, do you think hunger or appetite is driving this?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Hunger<\/h2>\r\nHunger is a physiological sensation that drives us to eat when we need food. It's what we call non-specific, which means that it can be satiated by any food. Hunger originates in the hypothalamus (See Figure 3.1) and because it's a physiological sensation, it can often feel uncomfortable.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1119\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"869\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1119\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/Hypothalamus-LG-edit.jpg\" alt=\"The location of the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland in the brain\" width=\"869\" height=\"689\" \/> Figure 3.1 The hypothalamus, thalamus, and pituitary gland.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nHunger is...\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Related to the amount and type of food we eat.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>From hormones, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>From nerve cells in other regions of the body.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h3>The Amount and Type of Food We Eat<\/h3>\r\nThe term satiety or satiation relates to the inhibition of eating experienced following food consumption. Compared to carbohydrates or fats, proteins have the highest satiety value, followed by carbohydrates, and then fats, so if you want to stay full for longer, it is important to include protein in your meals.\r\n\r\nMeals that contain more water and fibre (also called bulky) can stretch the stomach more than meals that contain less fibre and water. The stretching of the stomach signals the hypothalamus that you are full and prevents further eating.\r\n\r\nOne final aspect of food that plays a role in satiety is related to the form of food you eat. Have you ever drunk a frappuccino and not felt full afterwards, but then ate a bowl of granola with yogurt and felt full? Having experienced something similar to this can highlight the role food form plays in satiety. Liquids tend to be the least satiating and solid food the most. There is also evidence that satiety occurs more quickly and lasts longer following solid food when compared to liquid food.[footnote]Leathwood P, Pollet P. Effects of slow release carbohydrates in the form of bean flakes on the evolution of hunger and satiety in man. Appetite. 1988;10:1\u201311.[\/footnote]\r\n<h3>Hormones, neuropeptides and neurotransmitters<\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<h3 class=\"textbox__title\">Definitions<\/h3>\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Hormones<\/strong> are chemical messengers secreted by endocrine glands that travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs.[footnote]https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/hormones.html[\/footnote] They are involved in many bodily processes such as growth and development, reproduction, and mood, as well as key aspects surrounding nutrition such as digestion and metabolism.\r\n\r\n<strong>Neuropeptides<\/strong> are peptides secreted from neurons.[footnote]Zup Susan L., Park Jin Ho, Dominguez Juan M. Front. Behav. Neurosci., 22 April 2022 Sec. Behavioral Endocrinology Volume 16 - 2022 | https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnbeh.2022.886591 https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnbeh.2022.886591\/full[\/footnote]\r\n\r\n<strong>Neurotransmitters<\/strong>\u00a0\"are chemical signals released from <a class=\"def\" role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/n\/neurosci\/A2251\/def-item\/A2779\/\">presynaptic<\/a>\u00a0<a class=\"def\" role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/n\/neurosci\/A2251\/def-item\/A2658\/\">nerve<\/a>\u00a0terminals into the\u00a0<a class=\"def\" role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/n\/neurosci\/A2251\/def-item\/A2906\/\">synaptic cleft<\/a>.\" [footnote]https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK10957\/[\/footnote]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nHormones such as insulin and glucagon play a role in maintaining blood glucose levels. Low blood glucose can trigger feelings of hunger that, by signalling the hypothalamus, drive us to eat. When blood glucose levels are high and the stomach is stretched from eating, this, and other signals from the gut provide a feeling of satiety, which encourages us to stop eating. Neuropeptides and neurotransmitters can also play a role in hunger and satiety. For example, Neuropeptide Y and galanin (both neuropeptides) trigger hunger, whereas leptin (hormone), cholecystokinin (hormone), and serotonin (neurotransmitter) all play a role in satiety.\r\n<h3>Nerve Cells<\/h3>\r\nNerve cells are cells that line the stomach and small intestine. They detect changes in pressure and send signals to the hypothalamus which integrates a response, causing us to eat or feel full. When you have just eaten, the stomach or small intestine becomes distended\/ full of nutrients which causes these nerve cells to send a signal to the hypothalamus, triggering feelings of satiety. In contrast, when the stomach is empty, this lack of distention and nutrients is integrated in the hypothalamus and results in feelings of hunger.\r\n<h2>Appetite<\/h2>\r\nAppetite is a psychological desire to consume a particular food that can be triggered by things related to our culture, society and environment (e.g., activities and occasions, time of day, being with certain people, events causing an emotional response, a particular place); information provided by our senses (e.g. sight, smell, taste, texture and sound); factors that we learn over time (e.g., from our family, community, culture, religion and exposure through things such as education).","rendered":"<h1>Hunger vs. Appetite<\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1107\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1706\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-scaled.jpg 1706w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-65x98.jpg 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-225x338.jpg 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/charlesdeluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash-350x525.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1706px) 100vw, 1706px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">When people think about hunger and appetite, they often use the terms interchangeably. However, these terms are not interchangeable.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The simplest way to differentiate between the two is that <strong>hunger is physiological<\/strong>, whereas <strong>appetite is psychological<\/strong>. So when you see the dog staring longingly at that lovely tart, do you think hunger or appetite is driving this?<\/p>\n<h2>Hunger<\/h2>\n<p>Hunger is a physiological sensation that drives us to eat when we need food. It&#8217;s what we call non-specific, which means that it can be satiated by any food. Hunger originates in the hypothalamus (See Figure 3.1) and because it&#8217;s a physiological sensation, it can often feel uncomfortable.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1119\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1119\" style=\"width: 869px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1119\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/Hypothalamus-LG-edit.jpg\" alt=\"The location of the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland in the brain\" width=\"869\" height=\"689\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/Hypothalamus-LG-edit.jpg 869w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/Hypothalamus-LG-edit-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/Hypothalamus-LG-edit-768x609.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/Hypothalamus-LG-edit-65x52.jpg 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/Hypothalamus-LG-edit-225x178.jpg 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1850\/2023\/01\/Hypothalamus-LG-edit-350x278.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1119\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 3.1 The hypothalamus, thalamus, and pituitary gland.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hunger is&#8230;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Related to the amount and type of food we eat.<\/li>\n<li>From hormones, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters.<\/li>\n<li>From nerve cells in other regions of the body.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>The Amount and Type of Food We Eat<\/h3>\n<p>The term satiety or satiation relates to the inhibition of eating experienced following food consumption. Compared to carbohydrates or fats, proteins have the highest satiety value, followed by carbohydrates, and then fats, so if you want to stay full for longer, it is important to include protein in your meals.<\/p>\n<p>Meals that contain more water and fibre (also called bulky) can stretch the stomach more than meals that contain less fibre and water. The stretching of the stomach signals the hypothalamus that you are full and prevents further eating.<\/p>\n<p>One final aspect of food that plays a role in satiety is related to the form of food you eat. Have you ever drunk a frappuccino and not felt full afterwards, but then ate a bowl of granola with yogurt and felt full? Having experienced something similar to this can highlight the role food form plays in satiety. Liquids tend to be the least satiating and solid food the most. There is also evidence that satiety occurs more quickly and lasts longer following solid food when compared to liquid food.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Leathwood P, Pollet P. Effects of slow release carbohydrates in the form of bean flakes on the evolution of hunger and satiety in man. Appetite. 1988;10:1\u201311.\" id=\"return-footnote-1106-1\" href=\"#footnote-1106-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Hormones, neuropeptides and neurotransmitters<\/h3>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h3 class=\"textbox__title\">Definitions<\/h3>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p><strong>Hormones<\/strong> are chemical messengers secreted by endocrine glands that travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/hormones.html\" id=\"return-footnote-1106-2\" href=\"#footnote-1106-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a> They are involved in many bodily processes such as growth and development, reproduction, and mood, as well as key aspects surrounding nutrition such as digestion and metabolism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neuropeptides<\/strong> are peptides secreted from neurons.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Zup Susan L., Park Jin Ho, Dominguez Juan M. Front. Behav. Neurosci., 22 April 2022 Sec. Behavioral Endocrinology Volume 16 - 2022 | https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnbeh.2022.886591 https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnbeh.2022.886591\/full\" id=\"return-footnote-1106-3\" href=\"#footnote-1106-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Neurotransmitters<\/strong>\u00a0&#8220;are chemical signals released from <a class=\"def\" role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/n\/neurosci\/A2251\/def-item\/A2779\/\">presynaptic<\/a>\u00a0<a class=\"def\" role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/n\/neurosci\/A2251\/def-item\/A2658\/\">nerve<\/a>\u00a0terminals into the\u00a0<a class=\"def\" role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/n\/neurosci\/A2251\/def-item\/A2906\/\">synaptic cleft<\/a>.&#8221; <a class=\"footnote\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK10957\/\" id=\"return-footnote-1106-4\" href=\"#footnote-1106-4\" aria-label=\"Footnote 4\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Hormones such as insulin and glucagon play a role in maintaining blood glucose levels. Low blood glucose can trigger feelings of hunger that, by signalling the hypothalamus, drive us to eat. When blood glucose levels are high and the stomach is stretched from eating, this, and other signals from the gut provide a feeling of satiety, which encourages us to stop eating. Neuropeptides and neurotransmitters can also play a role in hunger and satiety. For example, Neuropeptide Y and galanin (both neuropeptides) trigger hunger, whereas leptin (hormone), cholecystokinin (hormone), and serotonin (neurotransmitter) all play a role in satiety.<\/p>\n<h3>Nerve Cells<\/h3>\n<p>Nerve cells are cells that line the stomach and small intestine. They detect changes in pressure and send signals to the hypothalamus which integrates a response, causing us to eat or feel full. When you have just eaten, the stomach or small intestine becomes distended\/ full of nutrients which causes these nerve cells to send a signal to the hypothalamus, triggering feelings of satiety. In contrast, when the stomach is empty, this lack of distention and nutrients is integrated in the hypothalamus and results in feelings of hunger.<\/p>\n<h2>Appetite<\/h2>\n<p>Appetite is a psychological desire to consume a particular food that can be triggered by things related to our culture, society and environment (e.g., activities and occasions, time of day, being with certain people, events causing an emotional response, a particular place); information provided by our senses (e.g. sight, smell, taste, texture and sound); factors that we learn over time (e.g., from our family, community, culture, religion and exposure through things such as education).<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-attributions clear\" prefix:cc=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/ns#\" prefix:dc=\"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/\"><h2>Media Attributions<\/h2><ul><li about=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/D44HIk-qsvI\"><a rel=\"cc:attributionURL\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/D44HIk-qsvI\" property=\"dc:title\">A dog staring at tart<\/a>  &copy;  <a rel=\"dc:creator\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@charlesdeluvio\" property=\"cc:attributionName\">Charles Deluvio<\/a>     <\/li><li about=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/anatomy-and-physiology-2e\/pages\/13-2-the-central-nervous-system\"><a rel=\"cc:attributionURL\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/anatomy-and-physiology-2e\/pages\/13-2-the-central-nervous-system\" property=\"dc:title\">The hypothalamus, thalamus, and pituitary gland<\/a>  &copy;  Open stax  <a rel=\"dc:source\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/details\/books\/anatomy-and-physiology-2e\"><\/a>  is licensed under a  <a rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY (Attribution)<\/a> license<\/li><\/ul><\/div><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-1106-1\">Leathwood P, Pollet P. Effects of slow release carbohydrates in the form of bean flakes on the evolution of hunger and satiety in man. Appetite. 1988;10:1\u201311. <a href=\"#return-footnote-1106-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-1106-2\">https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/hormones.html <a href=\"#return-footnote-1106-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-1106-3\">Zup Susan L., Park Jin Ho, Dominguez Juan M. Front. Behav. Neurosci., 22 April 2022 Sec. Behavioral Endocrinology Volume 16 - 2022 | https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnbeh.2022.886591 https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnbeh.2022.886591\/full <a href=\"#return-footnote-1106-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-1106-4\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK10957\/ <a href=\"#return-footnote-1106-4\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 4\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1806,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1106","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":1020,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1806"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1106\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2678,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1106\/revisions\/2678"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/1020"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1106\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1106"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1106"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/humannutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}