5 Reasons You're Always Hungry - Quick and Easy Recipes From Stylist Magazine - Stylist Magazine

5 reasons you're always hungry

The science behind our hunger pangs

Already wondering what's for lunch when you had breakfast half an hour ago? These factors could be the reason behind your hunger pangs.

1. Weather

When the temperature drops, studies show that we tend to eat more. This is because our metabolism drops when it’s time to eat and eating then warms us up – explaining why restaurants keep the radiators off and why we crave more food in winter.

2. Plate and glass size

Studies show the bigger your plate size, the more you eat, with portions typically increasing by 25% to 28%. Using a short wide glass means you’ll pour 76% more juice than if you use a tall slender glass.

3. Aroma

The aroma of freshly baked bread can induce ghrelin making us think we’re hungry, however recent studies have shown that making food more aromatic makes people take smaller mouthfuls, which is why we only eat small bites of blue cheese.

4. Lighting

Studies show that eating dinner by candlelight or with soft lighting results in us lingering longer over our meals and increasing the amount of food we eat, whereas over-bright, harsh lighting does the opposite.

5. Sleep

A recent study from Uppsala University, Sweden showed how our perception of when we need food is affected by a lack of sleep - and our appetite is more easily stimulated by images of food after a bad night. This is because our bodies produce higher amounts of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin when we're tired, which also reduces the amount of energy we expend.

Tags: food