by Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
Have you ever heard the term polyphagia? If not, you’re not alone, as most people have probably never heard of it. What if I asked you about the term hunger? Now you’re tracking, right?
Polyphagia is deemed an increased appetite or excessive hunger.
But before you think you have some weird disorder because you’re always hungry, you should know that polyphagia is usually linked to underlying health issues such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, or some psychological disorders.
Excessive hunger is a symptom, not a condition, as it indicates something else is happening in your body that you need to wrap your arms around and understand.
Managing and treating polyphagia may need a mix of medication, lifestyle changes, and therapy, depending on the underlying cause. Obviously, a doctor would be the person to determine what would need to be done, but perhaps this article may help you understand if you have such a condition.
In this article, we will dive deeper and learn more about polyphagia and how you can help treat it if it’s determined you have such a condition.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new supplements into your current regimen.
What is Polyphagia?
Polyphagia means feeling extremely hungry or having a larger appetite than usual. This can make someone eat much more food than they usually would.
For example, people with uncontrolled diabetes may experience this. When too much sugar (glucose) builds up in the blood, the body tries to remove it through urine. Since the body isn’t using the sugar for energy, the person feels hungry and eats more to compensate for the lost energy.
Polyphagia is often linked to polydipsia, which means feeling extremely thirsty. In diabetes, the kidneys work harder to remove extra sugar through urine. This makes the person lose more fluids, causing them to drink more water than usual.
That said, just because you’re thirsty all the time doesn’t mean you have polydipsia. For example, I’m highly active and thirsty all the time. My thirst is due to my activity and fluid replenishment from sweat. Not because I have something like polydipsia and need to seek medical attention to help combat it.
6 Causes of Polyphagia
Below are some of the primary causes of polyphagia:
1. Diabetes
There are different types of diabetes, with type 1 and type 2 being the most common.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body stops making insulin completely.
Type 2 diabetes happens when the body’s cells don’t respond properly to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar. At first, the pancreas tries to make extra insulin, but over time, it slows down or stops producing enough.
Insulin is necessary because it helps move sugar from the blood into the body’s cells for energy. Without enough insulin, sugar builds up in the blood, which can lead to serious health problems like heart, kidney, and eye disease.
Besides increased hunger (polyphagia), common signs of diabetes include:
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Feeling very thirsty
- Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
- Extreme tiredness
- Slow-healing wounds
- Getting infections more often
- Unintentional weight loss
- Blurry vision
- People with type 1 diabetes may also feel nauseous, vomit, or have stomach pain.
2. Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism happens when your thyroid gland works too fast. The thyroid produces hormones that control many functions in your body, including metabolism.
When excessive thyroid hormone is made, your metabolism speeds up, making you feel hungrier than usual.
Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:
- Excessive sweating
- Trouble sleeping
- Unexplained weight loss
- Feeling nervous or anxious
- Hair loss
3. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a group of physical and emotional symptoms that occur one to two weeks before a period.
One common symptom of PMS is food cravings. This happens because PMS is linked to changes in the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which can lower serotonin levels. Serotonin helps control appetite, so when the levels drop, hunger increases.
Besides increased hunger (polyphagia), other symptoms of PMS include:
- Mood swings
- Breast tenderness
- Feeling tired
- Bloating
- Acne
- Heart palpitations
- Swelling in the feet and ankles
- Water retention
- Weight gain
- Cramps
- Back or muscle pain
- Low sex drive
4. Lack of sleep
Sleep deprivation affects hormones that control hunger, potentially increasing appetite and leading to higher-calorie food choices. Sleep quality is also essential; conditions like sleep apnea can increase food consumption.
When you don’t get enough sleep, you might also experience:
- Daytime drowsiness
- Mood fluctuations
- Memory issues
- Trouble focusing
5. Anxiety or depression
Chronic stress is linked to major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders. These conditions expose the body to high cortisol levels, a stress hormone that raises blood sugar and increases the risk of insulin resistance. These changes can lead to extreme hunger (polyphagia).
Even if you only experience anxiety or depression occasionally, your appetite may still increase. Stress speeds up metabolism, causing you to burn calories faster and feel hungry even after eating.
There is also an emotional side to this, known as stress eating, where food provides comfort. Severe anxiety can sometimes lead to binge eating, a condition connected to many mood disorders.
6. Binge eating disorder
Binge eating happens when a person eats a large amount of food in a short time and feels unable to control what or how much they eat. If binge eating causes distress, it may be a sign of binge eating disorder (BED).
Eating a lot occasionally doesn’t mean someone has a disorder. However, if binge eating happens at least once a week for three months and feels uncontrollable, it may indicate BED.
Symptoms of binge eating include:
- Eating a large amount of food in a short time (such as within two hours)
- Eating a lot even when not hungry
- Eating alone due to embarrassment about food intake
- Feeling unable to stop or control eating
- Eating much faster than usual during a binge
- Eating until uncomfortably full
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