Types of Hunger Beyond Physical

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Last updated on February 25th, 2023 at 03:49 am

When it comes to exploring all of the types of hunger out there, we need to consider:

  • Biology
  • Environment
  • Culture
  • Emotions
  • Lifestyle

Spoiler alert: there are WAY more than two types of hunger. Often times we try to define hunger as being either:

  1. Emotional
  2. Physical

This is oversimplified. Thinking of hunger as only “one or the other” can lead to:

Here we will explore the many different types of hunger that exist within our body and environment. We’ll dig into some of the biological reasons. we feel hunger, as well as how emotions can cause physical hunger.

Physical Vs. Emotional Hunger

The underlying message that often comes with the media’s ideas of hunger are

  • physical=good
  • emotional=bad

This idea is so archaic from both a physical and psychological standpoint! Here’s why the way most of us view hunger is flawed:

  • Hunger both physical and psychological
  • Emotional hunger offers us health benefits that physical hunger can’t and vice versa
  • Emotional or “non-physical” triggers for hunger can quickly cause physiological responses, therefore, blurring the line between physical and emotional hunger. 
  • 90% or messages from the brain are relayed to the gut and vice versa

Too often we like to think of the human experience as being black and white. The notion of we are either “hungry” or “not hungry” is crap! Let’s explore why from both a physical and emotional standpoint.

Physical Signs of Hunger

Obvious Physical Signs of Hunger

  • Growling stomach
  • Fatigue
  • Lightheadedness
  • Dizziness

Less Obvious signs of physical hunger: 

  • Thoughts of food
  • Fantasies of food that sounds good
  • Salivation surrounding pictures and thoughts of food
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Boredom
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Anxiety
  • Restlessness

If you are not sure if you’re experiencing physical hunger, talk with a HAES dietitian who can help you explore the sensations of your body. A dietitian can also help you get your hunger cues back after an eating disorder.

It’s important to note that if you are experiencing an eating disorder, you likely won’t experience physical signs of hunger. It will be essential you follow an eating disorder meal plan and mechanical eating schedule to make sure your needs are met.

Types of Hunger Beyond Physical and Emotional

Here are some examples of non-physical or emotional hunger: 

1. Opportunistic hunger:

  • The movie you plan to attend starts at 7. 6 p.m. is our only time to eat for the evening. You’re not usually hungry at this time but makes sense to have a meal when it’s available. 
  • You have lunch before your lab at 10 a.m. even though you usually don’t eat until noon. You know you’ll get hungry during lab.

2. Taste hunger

  • A craving for foods only available on holidays
  • New foods are available on vacation
  • Our grandmother’s cookie recipe always has us salivating no matter how physically full they were before they came in the door

3. Food Competition:

  • You know you have to get your favorite treats at thanksgiving before they’re gobbled up
  • There are only three ice cream bars in the fridge and 4 siblings in the house
  • There are 5 people and one pizza. You’re afraid there won’t be enough for you to be satisfied and there’s no other food available.

4. Scarcity hunger: 

  • You often went hungry at lunch because you couldn’t afford the food at school
  • Sometimes dinner wasn’t available growing up
  • You were once homeless and keeping food on hand wasn’t possible

5. Anticipation of restriction:

  • You tell yourself you’re about to go on a diet
  • You have access to foods you normally don’t keep in the house because of restriction
  • Youre afraid to stop counting calories for any foods you eat

Emotional Hunger Becomes Physical Hunger

While hunger might start out as primarily physical or emotional, at some point these sensations will overlap.

Not honoring all types of hunger is likely to lead to still feeling hungry even after you finish eating.

What Causes Hunger 

  • Grehlin– which is triggered by insulin being released in the body. 
  • Neuropeptide-Y-causes us to seek carbohydrate-rich foods in response to hunger
  • Salivary Amylase– starts digestion in the mouth and is produced in the presence of food. Salivary amylase can also be produced in response to smells or familiar spaces associated with food. 
  • Stress can increase cortisol which can increase grehlin 

All emotional hunger is also physical. If we begin to restrict our emotional hunger, our body is likely to compensate with a binge restrict cycle.

This is one reason why so many dieting efforts ultimately result in weight loss rebound.

Emotional Coping Without Emotional Eating

While emotional eating should always be honored, it can become concerning if you feel that eating is your only way to cope with emotion.

Some other things you might try to help with emotional regulation include: 

  • hula hooping
  • gardening
  • playing games
  • medication
  • crossword puzzles
  • taking a bath
  • journaling

It’s very important to remember that activities outside of eating food or restricting food to manage emotions will likely not be as intense at first as eating in response to emotion. This may lead us to believe initially that the ONLY way we can regulate our emotions is through food. 

Continue to practice these stress-reducing activities, as their effectiveness in coping will get bigger over time. 

How To Tell Which Type Of Hunger You Have

Distinguishing which type of hunger you’re truly feeling can be tricky.

These tools to help you navigate hunger:

  • Keep track of your food patterns
  • Write down each emotion you’re experiencing with the food
  • Map out how physically hungry you are on a hunger fullness scale
  • When you go to grab something to eat, walk through the type of hunger without bias in your head or on paper
  • Write down if you experience binge eating or food guilt.

These eating disorder recovery books are also an excellent way to share in the journeys of how others came to navigate hunger and some of the physiological mechanisms of hunger.

Shena Jaramillo. Registered Dietitian
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