Definition
Hyperphagia is an increase in appetite, which translates into the ingestion of more food than normal. This phenomenon can have a transitory or persistent character and can sometimes manifest itself compulsively. Furthermore, hyperphagia may or may not lead to an increase in body weight.
The uncontrollable need to ingest food in large quantities, during or outside meals, may indicate the presence of an underlying eating disorder (binge-eating, bulimia nervosa and night-time eating syndrome).
Outside of meals, hyperphagia can be attributed to binge-eating (binge eating disorder), which leads to eating a large amount of food in no time, without the need to be "full" to get the impression to feel full.
This problem also manifests itself in bulimia, an eating disorder in which hunger is felt obsessively, despite the assimilation of food. Sometimes, this behavior is associated with "liberating" practices, such as self-induced vomiting, laxative and diuretic abuse, fasting or strenuous exercise.
In night eating syndrome, hyperphagia can occur as a reaction to difficulty falling asleep or insomnia.
During meals, the act of eating habitually more than one needs is associated with a problem of perception, that is to say an excessive hunger or satiety is not reached; Possible causes include obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
Other times, hyperphagia may result from endocrinological and metabolic disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia and hyperthyroidism. This symptom can also be found in transient form in the premenstrual syndrome.
Hyperphagia may represent a reaction to states of anxiety and periods of excessive stress; these conditions generally manifest themselves with restlessness, irritability, palpitations and muscular tension.
Other possible causes include some infestations with parasites (such as teniasis), which can occur with increased appetite and weight loss, for no apparent reason.
Hyperphagia may also result from taking certain drugs, such as corticosteroids, oral contraceptives, and tricyclic antidepressants.
Possible Causes * of Hyperphagia
- Anxiety
- Bulimia
- Major depression
- Postpartum depression
- Diabetes
- Dysthymia
- Uncontrolled feeding disorder
- Hyperthyroidism
- Obesity
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Metabolic syndrome
- Premenstrual syndrome
- African trypanosomiasis
- Pancreatic cancer
