Are you the type who can’t seem to stop munching? Do you feel an almost immediate hunger—or an irresistible urge to raid the fridge for something to eat?
Food often takes center stage for Filipinos. From having three square meals and including a morning merienda as well as an afternoon break, to enjoying midnight snacks, we are always reaching out to some food item.
But while it’s easy to brush off this love for food as harmless, you might want to reconsider constant hunger. Because it might not always be about food — it could actually be your body trying to tell you something else.
Wrong food choices
The most apparent reason you’re always hungry is that you’re not eating enough. Or, you’re not getting a well-balanced diet, and eating the types of food that sustains your energy needs.
“You may lack refueling. Even if it may seem that your daily activities are not energy-demanding, always remember that our brains depend on glucose,” explained Charleene Nobuo Solomon-Achanzar, a registered nutritionist with 10 years of experience in the healthcare industry and certifications in sports nutrition.
In an interview with GMA News Online, she explained that low energy can leave you feeling dizzy or sleepy, even as early as 10 a.m., because the slice of sandwich — which you ate earlier in the day — has already served its purpose, and it’s now time to consume something again to sustain the needs of your body.
Case in point, food typically eaten during breakfast like bread and cereals are simple sugars or carbohydrates. These types of foods are digested quickly by the body. While they are a quick source of energy, they may also lead to energy crashes, not to mention a fast rise in sugar levels, which can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
“As for the quality of food, fiber-rich and nutrient-dense food should always be part of your meal plates to ensure that you’ll reach the optimum level of satiety,” she said.
Hunger may actually be thirst
Your brain can sometimes mistake thirst for hunger. The hypothalamus, which regulates both hunger and thirst, may misinterpret signals when you’re dehydrated, leading to food cravings instead of prompting you to drink water. Besides, thirst also shares symptoms with hunger, such as fatigue, lightheadedness, and headaches, further blurring the lines.
In one study, only 2% of participants responded to thirst correctly by drinking water, even when they weren’t hungry.
Another study revealed that individuals with higher body mass index (BMI) who require more water often remain inadequately hydrated. Researchers proposed that obese individuals might misinterpret thirst as hunger, contributing to the observed link between dehydration and higher BMI.
Adding to the confusion, many foods, especially fruits and vegetables, contain high water content. The next time you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. If the hunger fades, you were likely just thirsty.
Fatigue may feel like hunger
Fatigue can trick your body into thinking it needs food when actually, it craves rest.
Studies show that sleep deprivation alters hunger-regulating hormones like ghrelin and leptin, increasing your appetite.
“Poor sleep hygiene, which whacks the body’s circadian rhythm—affects the hormonal balance. It may signal the body to produce more ghrelin, the ‘hunger hormone.’
Ghrelin makes your body feel like it’s in fight mode with all the unaddressed stressors it is experiencing,” explained Solomon-Achanzar.
Research indicates that poor sleep hygiene can disrupt hormonal balance, potentially affecting women more significantly due to their unique hormonal fluctuations.
Because of this, women may require slightly more sleep than men because of these hormonal fluctuations, as well as a higher risk of mental health issues and sleep disorders.
If you’re struggling with sleep, try practicing good sleep hygiene. This includes minimizing mobile phone use in bed and creating a dark, cool, and quiet sleeping environment. You can also get that much needed shut-eye by using white noise, wearing an eye mask, and investing in high-quality pillows and mattresses.
“Health and wellness coaches cannot stress enough the importance of being mindful of your daily physical activity, solely because doing so supports the production of happy hormones, like dopamine and serotonin, which results in better energy regulation, fewer hunger episodes, and better mood throughout the day,” Solomon-Achanzar said.
Poor gut health
If you’re experiencing sudden, unexplained rashes, poor sleep quality, frequent hospital visits, or stomach issues like bloating and constipation, it may be because your gut needs more care.
“With an unhealthy gut, there is a high chance that your body is taking out energy and nutrients from places it should not, like calcium from your bones. So your body is working twice its bandwidth, which may result in frequent hunger and unwanted weight changes if your gut works poorly,” Solomon-Achanzar explained.
She adds, even if you eat the healthiest meals, if your gut isn’t healthy, you might be “dumping them right straight out of your systems, underutilized.”
Our gut functions like a second brain, constantly communicating with the brain through a network of nerves and chemical signals known as the gut-brain axis. This connection influences not only digestion but also mood, sleep, and overall health.
You need to take care of your gut because the microbiome—the ecosystem of microbes in your gut—plays a crucial role in how well your body absorbs nutrients, including essential ones like calcium and vitamin D.
Blame it on stress
Stress can play a massive role in making you feel hungry, even when your body doesn’t actually need food. When you feel overwhelmed, your body releases cortisol, the “stress hormone.”
Cortisol not only increases your motivation, which is your body’s way of overcoming stressors, but it can also increase your appetite, particularly for “comfort foods,” calorie-dense foods, particularly those high in sugar and fat.
This “stress eating” is your body’s way of coping. However, an animal study found that stress and eating comfort foods may only lead to brain changes that could lead to more eating and intense cravings and binge eating for palatable food.
Get yourself checked
Sometimes, constant hunger signals an underlying health issue.
“Underlying, undiagnosed chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and depression, have polyphagia as one of their signs and symptoms. Polyphagia is the frequent feeling of extreme, insatiable hunger even if you ate a full meal hours ago,” Solomon-Achanzar explained.
If your hunger persists despite eating enough or is accompanied by symptoms like rapid weight changes or fatigue, consult a healthcare professional. Blood tests can help identify any underlying causes.
Always feeling hungry might not just be about food—it could be your body sending other signals. Cracking the code behind those cravings can help you tackle hunger smarter and keep your health in check.
— LA, GMA Integrated News
