Appetite
Appetite is the desire to eat food, felt as hunger. Appetite exists in all higher life-forms, and serves to regulate adequate energy intake to maintain metabolic needs. It is regulated by a close interplay between the digestive tract, adipose tissue and the brain. Appetite has a relationship with every individual's behavior. Appetitive and consummatory behaviours are the only processes that involve energy intake, whereas all other behaviours affect the release of energy When stressed, appetite levels may increase and result in an increase of food intake. Decreased desire to eat is termed anorexia, while polyphagia (or "hyperphagia") is increased eating. Dysregulation of appetite contributes to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, cachexia, overeating, and binge eating disorder.
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Famous quotes containing the word appetite:
“Hunger is never delicate; they who are seldom gorged to the full with praise may be safely fed with gross compliments, for the appetite must be satisfied before it is disgusted.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)
“Read o’er this,
And after this, and then to breakfast with
What appetite you have.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“What a healthy out-of-door appetite it takes to relish the apple of life, the apple of the world, then!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)