Do you crave for sweets or some dessert after eating a full dinner? This desire is referred to as appetite, which is not the same as hunger.

Appetite is a complex phenomenon, it connects biology with environment. It is a biopsychological system which implicates the result of both biology (hunger) and psychology (desires and feelings). Hunger, is purely biological. It is the urge that makes one think about food and the need to eat. It gets stronger the longer one goes without food, and it weakens after eating. Many chemical agents in the human body affect the sensation of hunger. Unfortunately for some people, eating behavior is not governed by hunger and feeling of fullness, but by a variety of other factors. For some people they eat because of anxiety, depression, or stress. Eating helps lessen these feelings, and becomes a coping mechanism.

People must manage their psychological feelings about eating. Learn to differentiate appetite and hunger. Eat only when you are hungry, stop when already full. Weight gain may happen if people eat for reasons other than hunger.