How is appetite related to body weight?

People without weight problems benefit from a complex and properly working system of appetite control composed of compounds that circulate in the blood such as various hormones, peptides, neurotransmitters, and glucose, all of which are sensed and acted upon by the brain. People of normal weight don't tend to experience frequent and unhealthy food cravings, and they usually feel hungry at appropriate times. They are also inclined to feel satisfied when they have eaten modest-sized food portions that don't promote weight gain.

Unfortunately, in overweight and obese individuals, this complex system of appetite control becomes altered. As a result, they possess an increased appetite drive along with frequent and excessive food cravings. They become more sensitive to both internal and external signals to eat, and they are less able to experience a strong sense of satiety when they have eaten adequate amounts of food.

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There is a difference between your physiological need for food (hunger) and the psychological factors that prompt you to eat (appetite). Hunger is the physical need for nourishment that drives you to consume food. Once you start eating, hunger will subside as the feeling satiation begins to set in. Satiation will determine how long and how much you eat. Satiety determines the length of time between eating episodes. An increase in satiety will delay the start of your next meal or snack.

Your appetite is affected by hunger, as well as environmental factors, like seeing or smelling something you think will taste good, your social setting, your stress level, and so forth. Hunger, in turn, is affected by many physiological mechanisms, as well as genetics. Both hunger and appetite ultimately affect what you eat.