I am going to use the words hunger and appetite to try to unravel those cases where we find ourselves – often – not really knowing what we are feeling, i.e. we are unable to distinguish certain emotions and sensations with certainty. And of course, in doing so, to try to promote and convince that we should all walk every day.
I will start by analyzing its most common meanings, which are those related to food intake, i.e. our nourishment through nutrients, and then move on to other human activities.
Understanding exactly what each of these sensations consists of will prevent us from being misled about what we really feel.
In this scenario, hunger and appetite are two terms related to the need to ingest food, but they have important differences in humans.
Hunger is a physiological sensation that originates in the central nervous system when the body needs energy and nutrients. This sensation is triggered by low blood glucose. Hunger is a signal that the body needs food to function properly and maintain energy balance.
Appetite, on the other hand, is a psychological sensation that relates to the desire to eat. Appetite can be influenced by emotional, cultural, social and environmental factors, such as the aroma and taste of food, the availability of food and past experiences with food. Unlike hunger, appetite is not always related to an actual physiological need for food.
Both sensations are related to the increased or decreased production and release of the hormones ghrelin and leptin. Both hormones are involved in appetite regulation and body weight control. Ghrelin is mainly produced in the stomach and stimulates appetite, i.e. it increases the desire to eat. It has also been shown to stimulate the release of growth hormone and to have effects on the regulation of glucose and fat metabolism. Leptin is mainly produced in adipose tissue and has an appetite suppressant effect. Leptin has been shown to play an important role in long-term body weight regulation by informing the brain about the amount of fat stored in the body. Both hormones work together to control appetite and body weight, and their balance is important for maintaining a healthy weight.
Now, which of these two sensations – hunger and appetite – do we enjoy more? Which of them do we do with pleasure, with greater happiness?
Perhaps this could be the most important answer as to our inclination towards one sensation or the other.
Can we clearly distinguish between the sensation of hunger and appetite?
Here we could enter a scenario that is difficult for some to elucidate and easy for others.
In terms of food, hunger is important because it is a signal that the body needs nutrients. On the other hand, appetite can be more difficult to control, as it can be influenced by psychological and social factors.
Ignoring hunger can lead to malnutrition, which can have serious health consequences.
If appetite is ignored, what are the serious health consequences?
It is important to find a balance between hunger and appetite in order to maintain a healthy and satisfying diet.
It is not easy to solve these questions.
Let’s move on to the part of transferring these 2 words to other human activities, in order to try to clarify ourselves. By doing it in this other way, the binomial hunger-appetite will allow us to decipher and understand -by our own personal nature- this type of sensations, which we ourselves often deceive and confuse, because we do not know how to distinguish these needs.
In addition to walking – which we will leave for the final part – there are other human functions and activities with which we could proceed with this analogy of the concepts of hunger and appetite. We will mention 4 of them:
Sleep: Sleep hunger refers to the physiological need for sleep to rest the body and mind. On the other hand, sleep appetite refers to the psychological desire to sleep because of the pleasure experienced during sleep and the feeling of well-being after a restful sleep. Sleep hunger refers to the physiological need for rest and recuperation. The appetite for sleep, on the other hand, relates to the psychological desire to have a good night’s rest and to enjoy the feeling of relaxation and comfort experienced during sleep. Both needs are related to physical and mental health, as sleep is essential for the proper functioning of the body.
Sexual activity: Sexual hunger refers to the physiological need for sex to satisfy the libido and maintain good sexual health. On the other hand, sexual appetite refers to the psychological desire to have sex for the pleasure of doing it, for the experience of doing it and the feeling of satisfaction that the body -physical and mental- gets after doing it.
Study: The hunger to study refers to the physiological need to learn and acquire knowledge. The appetite to study relates to the psychological desire to know more about a subject and to enjoy the learning process. Both needs are related to intellectual development and the acquisition of skills and competencies that can be useful in different areas of life.
Socializing: The hunger to socialize refers to the physiological need to establish social bonds and interact with other human beings. The appetite to socialize relates to the psychological desire to share experiences and emotions with others and to feel part of a social group. Both needs are related to emotional health and psychological well-being, as a lack of social relationships can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation (Post HOMO SOCIABILIS OR SOCIALIS? HUMAN AGGRESSION WALKING IN CROWDED PLACES. PART IV of IX).
These scenarios allow us to better understand the confrontation that confronts us with the disparity between emotions and sensations, such as hunger and appetite, being fundamental needs in different human activities, and their functional inter-influence can have an important impact on people’s physical, intellectual and emotional health.
So far it would seem that hunger is identified with the “need for”; and appetite coincides with the “enjoyment of”.
In its analogy with walking in the human being, one could make the following relation between hunger and appetite:
The hunger for walking could be understood as a physiological need to move, to engage in physical activity and to exercise muscles and joints. This need is related to the importance of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle, as walking is a fundamental activity for cardiovascular health and the maintenance of proper body weight.
On the other hand, the appetite for walking could be understood as the psychological desire to engage in physical activity, either because of the pleasure experienced during walking, the feeling of well-being after walking, or the need to release stress or emotional tension. This desire may be influenced by cultural, social and personal factors, such as the value placed on walking as a physical activity, the availability of time and space for walking, and previous experiences with walking.
In general, both hunger and appetite for walking are important for maintaining good physical and mental health. Hunger for walking indicates the need for physical activity and appetite for walking indicates the desire to enjoy walking. Therefore, finding a balance between the two can be beneficial for maintaining an active and healthy life.
Perhaps we should walk with both words hand in hand, being aware that both are satisfied by simply walking in any way and on any path; but yes, every day, even if it is only for half an hour.