Unit 8 Motivation: Hunger

The Physiology of Hunger
Primarily a homeostatic system that maintains a genetically determined set point of body weight
Hunger regulated by stomach contractions and body chemistry that reflects energy levels
The hypothalamus is the key regulating organ
Changing body weight can trigger changes in the metabolic rates i.e. a resting rate of energy expenditure
Psychology of Hunger
Universally, people have a preference for salty, fatty and sweet tastes
Other tastes are conditioned and culturally specific
We respond to both external and internal cures
Individual difference exits as to how attuned you are to external cues

Eating Disorders
Normal homeostatic pressure to eat overwhelmed by the motive for abnormal thinness
Anorexia nervosa defined as being 15% below normal body weight accompanied with a perception that one is overweight
Bulimia nervosa involves repeated binge and purging behaviorsA key factor is the role of culturally influenced standards of thinness and perceptions about ideal body weight