Are There Things That Affect Appetite
Actually there are several things that affect appetite. Like most emotions, appetite is vulnerable to many things. It is a desire to eat. Therefore, that desire can be influenced by a diverse range of things ranging from weather to moods. Also, like other emotions, we spend a significant amount of time trying to control and manage appetite. This takes place as early as childhood.
Take for instance how we deal with our children's eating habits. We essentially train them to be obsessed with maintaining a "healthy appetite," telling them to eat, eat, then eat again despite their persistent protests and often very convincing rebuttals. Meanwhile, as adults we have made diet corporations a multi-million dollar industry by spending ridiculous amounts of money on appetite suppressant pills and diet meal snacks that sell us the fantastical promise of a miracle remedy for appetite curbing.
The fact is, we haven't yet decided whether we like or despise appetite. Nonetheless, despite our indecisiveness, there are many things that seemingly impact our appetite, many which are outside of control. Let's examine a few.
1. Cold weather - causes the appetite to increase as the body needs the energy from food to warm it.
2. Exercise - results in decreased appetite immediately following the activity because exercise causes glucose levels remain steady.
3. Illnesses - like fevers, physical stress and trauma decrease appetite.
4. Prescription drugs - like antidepressants, allergy medications and steroids increase appetite while cancer treatment, antibiotics, blood pressure & cholesterol lowering medications decrease appetite.
5. Laughter - increases appetite because it causes leptin to decrease and ghrelin to increase.
6. Sleep deprivation - increases appetite and has same impact on leptin and ghrelin levels in the same manner as laughter.
7. Moods - such as stress increase appetite in some. On the other hand, depression may increase and decrease appetite while anxiety increases appetite.
8. Alcohol - in excess is an appetite suppressant and in moderation may increase appetite.
9. Colors- like blue food are an appetite suppressant. In fact, our ancestors saw food color as a warning that certain foods were lethal.
10. Caffeine - increases the appetite for sweets and fatty foods because it increases blood sugar and stress hormones.
11. Smoking - causes lack of appetite.
12. Dieting - increases appetite because it causes preoccupation with food.
Take for instance how we deal with our children's eating habits. We essentially train them to be obsessed with maintaining a "healthy appetite," telling them to eat, eat, then eat again despite their persistent protests and often very convincing rebuttals. Meanwhile, as adults we have made diet corporations a multi-million dollar industry by spending ridiculous amounts of money on appetite suppressant pills and diet meal snacks that sell us the fantastical promise of a miracle remedy for appetite curbing.
The fact is, we haven't yet decided whether we like or despise appetite. Nonetheless, despite our indecisiveness, there are many things that seemingly impact our appetite, many which are outside of control. Let's examine a few.
1. Cold weather - causes the appetite to increase as the body needs the energy from food to warm it.
2. Exercise - results in decreased appetite immediately following the activity because exercise causes glucose levels remain steady.
3. Illnesses - like fevers, physical stress and trauma decrease appetite.
4. Prescription drugs - like antidepressants, allergy medications and steroids increase appetite while cancer treatment, antibiotics, blood pressure & cholesterol lowering medications decrease appetite.
5. Laughter - increases appetite because it causes leptin to decrease and ghrelin to increase.
6. Sleep deprivation - increases appetite and has same impact on leptin and ghrelin levels in the same manner as laughter.
7. Moods - such as stress increase appetite in some. On the other hand, depression may increase and decrease appetite while anxiety increases appetite.
8. Alcohol - in excess is an appetite suppressant and in moderation may increase appetite.
9. Colors- like blue food are an appetite suppressant. In fact, our ancestors saw food color as a warning that certain foods were lethal.
10. Caffeine - increases the appetite for sweets and fatty foods because it increases blood sugar and stress hormones.
11. Smoking - causes lack of appetite.
12. Dieting - increases appetite because it causes preoccupation with food.
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