The first clinical study to investigate how hunger affects people’s emotions found that feeling hungry was associated with greater levels of anger and irritability and lower levels of pleasure. That’s according to a recent report published in the scientific journal PLOS One by the Public Library of Science. “I wish I could finish my breakfast sandwich, but my stubborn self decided not to and now I’m hungry,” American snowboarder Chloe Kim tweeted during the recent Winter Olympics. FRUITS OR VEGETABLES? TAKE THIS QUIZ TO TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HEALTHY EATING “Many of us know that being hungry can affect our emotions, but surprisingly little scientific research has focused on being ‘hungry,’” said lead author Dr. Viren Swami, professor of social psychology at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK. a press release about the new study. “We found that hunger is related to levels of anger, irritability and pleasure,” said the lead author of a new clinical study. The team observed people in their daily lives.
“Ours is the first study to look at being ‘hungry’ outside of a laboratory,” he also said. “By following people in their daily lives, we found that hunger is associated with levels of anger, irritability and pleasure.” HOT DOGS: 5 LITTLE KNOWN FACTS Researchers from the UK and Austria recruited 121 adults from central Europe. Sixty-four adult participants, ages 18 to 60, completed the study. About 81% of respondents were women. Participants in a new study reported their feelings and hunger levels by responding to regular prompts on a smartphone app to complete short surveys. (iStock) The study used an evaluation method known as the “experience sampling method” to better understand how hunger affects the emotional outcomes of people’s lives.
The methodology did not require a control group, as the sample size was sufficiently statistically powered for the study design, Swamy told Fox News Digital. Participants reported their feelings and hunger levels by responding to prompts on a smartphone app to complete short surveys, which the study sent five times a day on a semi-random basis over three weeks. “We believe this is the first time that negative emotions have been linked to two different forms of self-reported hunger.” The research found that hunger was associated with 37% of changes in irritability, 34% in anger and 38% in pleasure after controlling for variables that could affect the study’s outcome – such as age, sex, body mass index and the dietary behavior of the participants. the release indicated. The study did not take into account mental health issues or other triggers that may contribute to negative emotions, although it did control for trait anger, according to Medical News Today, which reviewed the study. The new research noted that certain situations are more likely to lead to anger and irritability than others — such as being alone versus being in a group environment, or working versus having fun. (iStock) The researchers found that day-to-day fluctuations in hunger as well as residual levels of hunger (measured as averages over a three-week period) were associated with irritability, anger and dissatisfaction. THE WORST FOODS FOR HEART HEALTH, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS “We believe this is the first time that negative emotions have been linked to two different forms of self-reported hunger, [suggesting] that the connection may be quite strong,” the authors said in their study. The researchers also measured pleasure and arousal by asking participants, “How pleasant do you find the current situation?” and “What is your current arousal level?” A “greater awareness of ‘hungry’” could reduce the likelihood that hunger leads to negative emotions and [behaviors] to people”. Participants’ pleasure responses ranged from 0 to 100, with 0 (very unpleasant) to 100 (very pleasant) — while arousal responses ranged from 0 (sleepy) to 100 (high arousal). Swami explained that “arousal” was related to normal arousal or excitement, rather than being happy, which allowed for “a more holistic account of the participants’ emotionality.” 6 Breweries IN AMERICA THAT OFFER EXCELLENT PRODUCT AND AN AMAZING VIEW But unlike negative emotions such as irritation, anger and dissatisfaction, the results were not significantly correlated with arousal levels. “Based on our results, it can be argued that it is the combination of negative states and high arousal that is associated with high levels of hunger, rather than arousal per se,” the authors said. The new study assessed anger and irritability as single-item measures. (iStock) “This may also explain why high arousal states, such as anger, in our study showed a significant relationship with self-reported hunger,” the authors said. The research noted that certain situations are more likely to lead to anger and irritability than others – such as being alone versus being in a group, or working versus having fun. The study is limited because it was unable to measure the context of these situations. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER The authors suggested that the experience of hunger can translate into negative emotions through a variety of everyday situations that are perceived negatively, according to Medical News Today. So hunger may not reflexively lead to negative emotions — but the context of how people experience hunger can influence their feelings and behaviors, according to the medical news agency. This new study shows that feeling “hungry” may not just be in our heads. (iStock) Another limitation of the study was that it assessed anger and irritability as single-item measures. Researchers have not been able to fully address potential subtleties in negative emotional experience. Research shows that being able to label an emotion can help people regulate it. The researchers also did not measure physiological indicators of hunger, such as the participant’s glucose level, noting that such changes may also affect negative emotional states. Due to the small sample size, the study cannot be generalized to a diverse population. “Although our study does not show ways to moderate the negative emotions caused by hunger, the research shows that the ability to label an emotion can help people regulate it, such as [recognizing] that we feel angry simply because we are hungry,” Swami said in a press release. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Therefore, greater awareness of being ‘hungry’ could reduce the likelihood that hunger results in negative emotions and [behaviors] to people”.