How do you define hunger? It determines whether you should eat or otherwise!!!

[neuroleptics]

well, here is the thing,
hunger as defined by me is the desire to eat.
Do we really need to eat 3 times a day, according to schedule?
No.

People exclaimed that they are hungry....hungry.
Do you feel the hunger?
No.

It's actually your brain that says....the food looks delicious....or after exhausting yourself in sport, your brain says......well, let's take in some energy-rich food.
So, at the end of the day, it is the craving for food that makes you hungry.

So, why say hungry?
Nevertheless, it's said that not eating breakfast is detrimental to our health!!!
If your brain wasn't thinking of food, no stimuli to increase gastric acid, no stimuli to increase our saliva.
So, what do you think?

[memimemi]

well, here is the thing,
hunger as defined by me is the desire to eat.
Do we really need to eat 3 times a day, according to schedule?
No.

People exclaimed that they are hungry....hungry.
Do you feel the hunger?
No.

It's actually your brain that says....the food looks delicious....or after exhausting yourself in sport, your brain says......well, let's take in some energy-rich food.
So, at the end of the day, it is the craving for food that makes you hungry.

So, why say hungry?
Nevertheless, it's said that not eating breakfast is detrimental to our health!!!
If your brain wasn't thinking of food, no stimuli to increase gastric acid, no stimuli to increase our saliva.
So, what do you think?

I do need to eat on something of a schedule, to coincide with Insulin treatments (I'm a type-1 Diabetic).

It's not your brain saying you're hungry; it's your entire endocrine system looking for energy sources to convert to glucose, and from there to ATP, in order to power your cells in everything they do.

In fact, when it comes to hunger, your brain is a terrible judge.  Ever get undefined cravings for food, despite knowing that you're not hungry?  It's probably thirst - our brains just aren't that good at telling the two apart.

I assure you - even in your brain cared not a whit about food, your pancreas would tell you that you need it.

[neuroleptics]

I do need to eat on something of a schedule, to coincide with Insulin treatments (I'm a type-1 Diabetic).

It's not your brain saying you're hungry; it's your entire endocrine system looking for energy sources to convert to glucose, and from there to ATP, in order to power your cells in everything they do.

In fact, when it comes to hunger, your brain is a terrible judge.  Ever get undefined cravings for food, despite knowing that you're not hungry?  It's probably thirst - our brains just aren't that good at telling the two apart.

I assure you - even in your brain cared not a whit about food, your pancreas would tell you that you need it.

well, the entire endocrine system involve your brain to make decision even if the interpretations can be wrong.
your body needs energy, afferent impulse to brain, efferent impulse cause you to eat...i wouldn't elaborate the physiology more here.

yes, and it's also the image seen in the eyes....impulse to brain.....perceive it as delicious....then causing you to desire having the food.

And on your reply, that's because you are told that you need to eat something...instruction given and that's programmed into your brain, so brain makes the decision too

[memimemi]

If hunger is a reaction produced in the brain, based on visual perceptive clues, then can you explain the behaviour of e. coli bacteria, which changes based on population density measured against food availibility?

Because, for all intents and purposes, even bacteria show behaviour consistant with hunger cues, despite having no nervous system whatsoever.

I think you're putting the cart before the horse - the cells signal a lack of nutrients; that signal is then processed by the brain, not the other way around.  The cells say "we need to eat," the brain asks "what shall we eat," and the (mind, "I," self, whatever) signals the body to move towards obtaining and ingesting food.

By defining hunger as the "desire to eat," you allow for no other explanation of the phenomenon.  Personally, I would say that the "desire to eat" is the conscious culmination of a long chain of events, most of which happen on biological levels far below cognition.

So, at the end of the day, it is the craving for food that makes you hungry.

No.  It's the body's need for energy sources that cause hunger; it's the brain that turns that hunger to a desire for specific foods.

[Annele]

I agree. You have just made me hungry.

[MiasmicBound]

Hmm, yes I need energy to sit down and play games most of the day. Yet I like to eat a lot so is this "energy" going to waste? I think you can just trick your mind into wanting food and not actually be hungry but you just want more food...

[Camoninja]

Hey, I'm type 1 diabetic too, and when my blood sugar goes too low, I sometimes feel the symptoms without being hungry (weak, shaky, irritable, don't want to think, etc.). I know I need to eat (drink) something then, despite a lack of hunger.

If you eat for more energy than you need to use, I think it would  probably go into either fat or waste products. (I'm no expert, I only know a bit about what applies to me, e.g. ketoacidosis)

There's also the case of "I'm bored, there's nothing else to do, I guess I'll just eat until I think of something better to do" that I would consider a desire to eat but not hunger.

[neuroleptics]

If hunger is a reaction produced in the brain, based on visual perceptive clues, then can you explain the behaviour of e. coli bacteria, which changes based on population density measured against food availibility?

Because, for all intents and purposes, even bacteria show behaviour consistant with hunger cues, despite having no nervous system whatsoever.

I think you're putting the cart before the horse - the cells signal a lack of nutrients; that signal is then processed by the brain, not the other way around.  The cells say "we need to eat," the brain asks "what shall we eat," and the (mind, "I," self, whatever) signals the body to move towards obtaining and ingesting food.

By defining hunger as the "desire to eat," you allow for no other explanation of the phenomenon.  Personally, I would say that the "desire to eat" is the conscious culmination of a long chain of events, most of which happen on biological levels far below cognition.

So, at the end of the day, it is the craving for food that makes you hungry.

No.  It's the body's need for energy sources that cause hunger; it's the brain that turns that hunger to a desire for specific foods.

well, humans are a more complex organism, want it or not, the fx lies in your brain. And the e. coli u talked about what has it got to do with the topic? yes, there're so many types of e.coli, EPEC for example. and the taking in from contaminated sources into our body, fecal-oral route for example, is really related to poor hygiene, which explained why certain areas have high prevalence. Qs answered. and pertaining the behaviour, no one can 100% explain their behavior. since you brought in e. coli, what about the virus, the bacteria, that can survive in outer space, in dead sea? can you say that they should be like any other creatures? well, they were created like that/ evolved as you like....but certainly humans have the senses given...not just by looking, smelling, touch, whatever.....the six senses. what you said makes no sense since the bacteria act on stimuli too and being a lower organism, they are too simple for a brain. and regarding their behaviour as for now, i don't think they a have anything in common to humans apart from their need of food but as for they possess hunger..... are you sure that the desire is there? no nervous system just the instinct to eat maybe. no one can be sure of that.

yes, that's y i said afferent stimuli...and for anyone that understand the biology would know that. i didn't want to type all that. and if i presume you did the same by saying the body moves to....well, you failed to say the agonist muscle and antagonist muscle....the muscle spindle......the entire physiology, well, that's not needed.

[neuroleptics]

Hey, I'm type 1 diabetic too, and when my blood sugar goes too low, I sometimes feel the symptoms without being hungry (weak, shaky, irritable, don't want to think, etc.). I know I need to eat (drink) something then, despite a lack of hunger.

If you eat for more energy than you need to use, I think it would  probably go into either fat or waste products. (I'm no expert, I only know a bit about what applies to me, e.g. ketoacidosis)

There's also the case of "I'm bored, there's nothing else to do, I guess I'll just eat until I think of something better to do" that I would consider a desire to eat but not hunger.

yes the side effects of insulin therapy....hypoglycemia. yes, that's when your blood sugar went too low and it's dangerous if you do not eat.

if you eat too much....normal state would produce more waste product and some stored as glycogen in your muscles for energy expenditures, ketoacidosis is caused by your body having insufficient insulin, and being type-1, you are insulin dependent. if you manage your food intake well (esp the sugar part) everything should be normal.

As i said,
''People exclaimed that they are hungry....hungry.
Do you feel the hunger?
No.''

[Naesala]

hun·ger/ˈhəNGgər/
Noun:   
A feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat.

...that's how I define it.

Not sure what your point is supposed to be, that people say they're hungry when they aren't? Usually, that is boredom and the brain sees eating as an alternative

The original post confuses me, perhaps due to english problems.

[neuroleptics]

hun·ger/ˈhəNGgər/
Noun:   
A feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat.

...that's how I define it.

Not sure what your point is supposed to be, that people say they're hungry when they aren't? Usually, that is boredom and the brain sees eating as an alternative

The original post confuses me, perhaps due to english problems.

well, i only ask the definition of hunger...and
maybe i should add how does it feel like to be hungry, can you actually feel the hunger?

[OldTrees]

maybe i should add how does it feel like to be hungry, can you actually feel the hunger?

Hunger develops from a simple craving to a feeling of a painful void in one's stomach that is eventually coupled with fatigue.

Note: I have not personally experienced more than a day without food. (What? I was curious.) I do not know how hunger progresses after that point.