“I keep craving food”…Is it a sign of something wrong with my body if I’m constantly hungry?

There are times when I want to eat something even though I thought I ate a lot. In fact, survey results support this, showing that many people consume the equivalent of one meal’s worth of calories during the day just through snacks.

Dr. Roshni Raj, a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States, advises that if you are often hungry even after eating, you should first check your diet. However, he added that if there is no problem with diet, it is important to consider factors such as lack of sleep, stress, hormonal imbalance, and amount of exercise.

Hormonal effects… If you have leptin resistance, your brain cannot properly recognize satiety.

The main hormones that regulate satiety and hunger are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin, secreted from fat cells, transmits a feeling of fullness to the brain and suppresses appetite, while ghrelin, secreted from the stomach, promotes appetite. The two hormones interact in a complex way to regulate hunger, but this balance can be disrupted in stressful situations.

If you have leptin resistance, your brain cannot properly recognize the feeling of fullness, so you continue to feel hungry. Additionally, during sleep deprivation or stressful situations, ghrelin levels increase and leptin levels decrease, making you feel hungry more often.

An unbalanced diet also affects appetite… Consuming mainly foods rich in dietary fiber helps reduce appetite.

The nutritional composition of your meal has a big impact on your feeling of fullness. For example, if you eat a donut in the morning, your blood sugar level will rise rapidly and then drop quickly, making you feel hungry right away. Meals should contain a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats, and foods high in dietary fiber keep you feeling full longer. It is a good idea to fill half of your meals with fruits and vegetables and the other half with proteins and whole grains. However, keep in mind that foods such as processed foods and fast foods can quickly change blood sugar levels and cause frequent feelings of hunger.

Eating distractedly or being very active is also related to appetite.
Looking at your phone or watching the TV while eating can make you feel less full. Studies have shown that eating while distracted tends to reduce satiety and increase snacking. When eating, it is best to concentrate on your food and chew it slowly.

If you exercise a lot or are very active, you may often feel hungry due to your fast metabolism. It is necessary to consume appropriate nutrition before and after exercise and replenish energy through a balanced meal.

Lack of sleep and stress also increase ghrelin levels… taking medications also has an effect.
When you lack sleep, ghrelin levels increase and leptin levels decrease, making you feel hungry more often. Additionally, when stress is high, appetite increases, and chronic stress increases cortisol levels, making people seek out sweet or high-calorie foods.

For example, diabetic patients may feel hungry frequently as their blood sugar levels become unstable due to insulin resistance. Hyperthyroidism and certain medications can also increase appetite.

How to reduce hunger after eating?… You need to check your diet

If you often feel hungry even after eating, check your diet. You can maintain a feeling of fullness for a long time by composing your diet with vegetables, fruits, lean meat, and whole grains. While eating, it is important to chew slowly and concentrate on feeling the taste and texture of the food. If you are still hungry after eating, it is best to wait a while and give it time to digest before deciding whether to eat more. When you need a snack, it is best to choose a snack rich in dietary fiber and protein.