Food Craving: Irresistible Urge To Eat

Food craving, i.e. an irresistible urge to eat, is not classified as a disease in medicine. However, it is a behavioral pattern that may cause health problems or be a manifestation of other underlying disorders. Therefore, when it occurs, you need to sound the alarm.

This disorder is related to a very intense desire to eat certain foods under certain circumstances. It is estimated that most people exhibit this type of behavior at some point. According to the available data, as many as 97% of women and 67% of men have gone through the stages of this type of “whim”.

The scientific community does not classify this phenomenon as a disease, because if it were to do so, it would have to endanger human health or life. However, this is not the case with food craving . Nevertheless, it is suggested that those who experience wolf hunger episodes may have some behavioral difficulties.

In addition, they can develop certain health problems.

What is food craving?

As we’ve said, a fundamental feature of food craving is a very strong desire to eat a particular food. We’ve all felt this desire at one time. However, there is talk of food craving when such episodes are repeated with excessive frequency.

The expression “food craving” is taken from the English language. Food means “food.” And craving has a broad meaning: it means desire or desire, it even suggests the presence of addiction. Therefore, we are talking about behavior with addictive traits.

Some health care professionals have noted that the only reason the behavior has not yet been called a “syndrome” or “disorder” is that the necessary information has not been gathered. However, many psychologists report that they see people for whom food craving is a serious problem.

Possible causes of food craving

The specific reasons for this behavior have not yet been established. All we currently have is a body of hypotheses on the subject. It has been established that the “craving” usually leads to eating something high in carbohydrates or sweets.

One hypothesis indicates that the craving for sweets and carbohydrates is due to the low levels of serotonin that some people have. It is a neurotransmitter responsible for the regulation of appetite, sleep and mood. Low serotonin levels are also associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

In addition, it should be noted that there are scientific articles that link sugar consumption with addiction generation. And such a process can also influence food craving behavior.

It has been established that people with low levels of serotonin tend to look for foods that stimulate the production of this substance to compensate for the deficiency. Sweets and carbohydrates help replenish the levels of this neurotransmitter.

Serotonin also goes down when hormonal changes occur, for example during the menstrual cycle or during pregnancy. Similarly restrictive diets generate food craving focused on eating salty foods. Stress and sadness also seem to influence this behavioral pattern.

Symptoms and threats

Just as the specific causes of food craving have not been defined, there is also no detailed description of its symptoms. The only trait that seems to be clearly defined and often occurs is the excessive desire to eat a particular food. This is done in a compulsive manner in order to fulfill an urgent and pressing need.

It is clear that people who behave this way increase the risk of various health problems. The first is obesity, and the second is diabetes. People with hypertension also put their health at risk if they fulfill these compulsive cravings.

Should this process lead to a person becoming obese, their health would of course be at risk. According to a study published in the journal Bulletin du Cancer , being overweight is closely associated with an increased risk of developing complex diseases such as cancer.

From a psychological point of view, there are also health risks. This type of behavior usually generates guilt and low self-esteem due to the lack of control it implies. Food craving can also worsen and lead to further eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

See a specialist if you feel you suffer from this disorder

Nutrition experts recommend eating five meals a day to avoid sudden cravings. In this way, the metabolic rate is maintained and the feeling of hunger is avoided. In this way, a drop in glucose levels is also prevented and the urge to eat carbohydrates and sweets is avoided.

It is also advisable to have healthy snacks on hand, such as fruit, whole grains, and high-fiber foods. Coffee should be avoided as it makes you nervous, as well as alcohol consumption, which depresses the nervous system.

Regular exercise is also recommended , if possible in conjunction with relaxation techniques. It’s also always a good idea to see your doctor in order to rule out any internal problems that might be causing the problem.