Hunger

state in which a person, for a sustained period, is unable to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs

Hunger is the feeling of wanting to eat. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes people feel hungry. The opposite of hunger is called satiety or fullness. Leptin causes this feeling. People can survive weeks without eating,[1] but they will start to feel hungry after they have not eaten for a few hours. Hunger is generally considered quite uncomfortable. People who have eaten food usually will feel less hungry, or not hungry at all. People can live longer without food than without water.

Hunger is also used to refer to people who generally have little to eat, and are therefore often hungry. This can lead to starvation.

References

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  1. Lieberson, Alan D. (8 November 2007). "How long can a person survive without food?". Scientific American. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
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  NODES
Note 1