How to Distinguish Hunger from Food Craving?

When deliberating on how to distinguish between yearning and hunger, it is worth contemplating what they really are. According to the definition of the Polish PWN Dictionary, hunger is an organism's condition associated with a lack of or lack of nourishment, as well as a sensation of fasting caused by lack of food, while yearning is a transient and easily alterable desire for something. In the context of nourishment, it is a strong yearning to consume a specific type of food. It is worth emphasizing that it is a normal part of the way of nourishment and that its occurrence does not indicate pathology. On the other hand, yearnings often pertain to products or dishes that are tasty and a source of a high number of calories, fat, and sugar. Therefore, frequent yielding to them can lead to episodes of overeating, weight gain, and development of obesity.

Although food desire is often confused with hunger, these states differ from each other in a few characteristics. These are: - Time of appearance – the feeling of hunger usually occurs a few hours after the previous meal, while food desire may occur even during or immediately after a meal; - Way in which the hunger signal appears – it starts with the feeling of a delicate emptiness and discomfort, which increases over time. However, the sensations of food desire are also very intense. - Symptoms – hunger is manifested mainly by the feeling of emptiness and early satiety in the stomach, as well as general discomfort, such as fatigue, dizziness, and problems with concentration; food desire, on the other hand, is manifested mainly by tension, recurring thoughts about the desired product, and increased saliva production; - Object – hunger can be satisfied with any product, while food desire concerns a specific food; - Duration – hunger lasts and increases, until the moment of satisfaction, while food desire can appear and disappear, and also completely disappear, without its realization; - Moment of satisfaction – in the case of hunger, the fullness of the stomach is a sign of the satisfaction of needs, while in the case of food desire, eating can be continued, even when the stomach is full. The most important difference is the cause: while hunger results from purely physiological impulses („I need energy and food, so I have to eat something“), food desire is associated with emotional aspects – for this reason it is also called emotional hunger. It can occur as a result of boredom („I don't know what to do, so I might eat something“), fatigue („I'm too tired, so I want to eat something that gives me energy“), negative experiences and emotions („I had a difficult day, so I have to improve it somehow“), stress („I feel tense and nervous, so I eat something, so as not to feel it“), a reaction to a specific situation („When I watch TV, I always eat chips, so turning on a TV series triggers my appetite for snacks“) or the application of hard bans and restrictions („I decided to not eat a single piece of chocolate for a month, but I'm getting more and more cravings for it“). Due to the emotional character of food desire, its satisfaction can also cause negative feelings such as guilt, sadness, disappointment, anger, and resignation caused by one's own attitude and breaking the adopted rules.

Noticing the need to eat something and not reaching for food impulsively, but pausing and reflecting on this need is the first step. The next step is paying attention to thoughts: do they point to specific products, or would satisfaction be possible with any meal? Are there any other sensations - stress, emotions, tension, depression, fatigue, boredom, fear? It is worth starting with a few breaths and considering the signals coming from the body - mouth, tongue, throat, and stomach: do they indicate tension, emptiness, nausea? Is the need to eat communicated as sudden, burning, or can it be postponed? Based on this, taking into account the characteristic features of hunger and desire, it is possible to decide which state is currently being experienced. Then, it is necessary to analyze the sensations coming from the head: is it aching, tired, irritated? If there is a feeling of emptiness in the stomach, a desire for any dish, and the need can be postponed for a few-several minutes - it is probably hunger. If the need is sudden, burning, there are visions of specific products, and there are no physical signals of hunger from the body - it is a desire. To better distinguish desire from hunger, it is worth repeating the discussed steps before meals, when we are likely experiencing hunger. This will help us better understand what hunger means for us and what signals are being sent from the body at that time.

Firstly, it is essential to highlight that the craving can either be fulfilled or not, and the decision to fulfill the urge to eat should be made consciously. Focusing on the sensation allows for better control over it. Therefore, similar to distinguishing between hunger and craving, we should pause momentarily, take a few deep breaths, analyze the sensations of the body, and observe how they evolve over time.