Explain the difference between hunger and appetite and discuss if a craving for chocolate is a sign of hunger?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary.

Hunger, the physiological drive to find and eat food, is controlled primarily by internal body mechanisms, such as organs, hormones, hormonelike factors, and the nervous system. Appetite, the psychological drive to eat, is affected mostly by external factors that encourage us to eat, such as social custom, time of day, mood (e.g., feeling sad or happy), memories of pleasant tastes, and the sight of a tempting dessert.

Internal and external signals that drive hunger and appetite generally operate simultaneously and lead us to decide whether to reject or eat a food. For example, external signals can cause cephalic phase responses by the body-that is, saliva flows and digestive hormones and insulin are released in response to seeing, smelling, and initially tasting food. These physiological responses encourage eating and prepare the body for the meal. Although hunger and appetite are closely intertwined, they don't always coincide. Almost everyone has encountered a mouthwatering dessert and devoured it, even on a full stomach. Alternately, there are times when we are hungry but have no appetite for the food being served. Where food is ample, appetite-not hunger-mostly triggers eating.