hunger

Like being overly stuffed, skipping meals can be the worst thing you can do for your waistline. Being too hungry signals your metabolism to slow down (and being overly hungry can make you want to eat anything and everything in sight). But here are a few things to remember when it comes to those stomach grumbles.

A little hunger can be good: Missing meals is a bad idea, but those slight hunger pangs are just a sign that it's time to refuel. It means that your metabolism is working, so don't think that a few stomach grumbles are bad. If you find that you're never really hungry while you eat, think about when and how you're eating instead of always sticking to a schedule. Read more tips on how to use a little hunger to your advantage here.

Double-check your motivation: Is it hunger, or are you just bored? Emotional eating can sabotage any healthy diet plans we have. Cravings that cause you to dig into that whole bag of chips can be a sign that you may be emotionally eating instead of actually being hungry. Read our tips for how to distinguish between mind hunger from actual hunger here.

Feel hunger pangs, find food, eat food — sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, there's a long list of reasons as to why we eat in addition to just physiological hunger pangs. With obesity rates in the United States continuing to climb, it's important for people to not only be conscious about what they are eating, but the motives behind their eating habits. Here's how to know if you're eating to satiate your brain, or your belly.

• Stomach hunger: Stomach hunger is exactly that: the feeling when you experience hunger pangs, stomach growling, and you physically need food. It tends to mount as more time passes since your last meal, and is dependent on factors like the hypothalamus in your brain, your blood sugar levels, hormone levels in your body, and how empty your stomach is. Feeling tired, moody, light-headed, having a headache, or finding it difficult to focus are all symptoms of real physical hunger.
• Mind hunger: Otherwise known as "psychological hunger," this type of hunger is often caused by emotions triggered by stress, sadness, boredom, and even sometimes happiness. You aren't physiologically hungry, and you tend to eat more than normal since you don't know when to stop. Usually, you crave one particular thing, and if you wait it out, the craving tends to go away. The key is to recognize your cravings and to learn how to control them. Thanks to our brains, fatty, sugary foods release chemicals called opioids into our bloodstream. It's these chemicals that put us in a mild euphoric "feel good" state, therefore just reinforcing our cravings.

Keep reading to learn how to control mind hunger.

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health.

With my clients, and in general, I like to focus on the positive, such as what to eat rather than what not to eat and what to do rather than what not to do. But after spending time with my clients, they often tell me, I didn't know what I was doing wrong before; now I get it. I'm always happy to hear that, because it means they're not just following my advice, they're understanding the logic behind my recommendations. That's key because when you're in the dark, you'll just unknowingly perpetuate the patterns that work against you. That said, one of the most common missteps I see that keeps people from getting results is being afraid to get hungry.

Intense hunger, when you can't concentrate, you're irritable, and you want to shove the first thing you see into your mouth, doesn't feel good. But mild to moderate hunger is normal, and it's something you should be experiencing about four times a day. It's a signal that your metabolism is in gear, that you've used up or burned off the previous meal and that it's time to refuel for the hours ahead.

Learn how to create the best eating schedule for yourself after the break!

Food prices have been on the rise for some time now, but an upcoming study to be published Wednesday warns that they will increase even more. According to Oxfam, the price of food, mainly staples like corn, will double by 2030. A number of factors — the depletion of natural resources, climate change, growing global population, etc. — have caused more poverty in the world and the poorest people, who already spend the majority of their income on food, will be the first to suffer.

To solve the situation, Oxfam is recommending a complete overhaul of the world's food system. The chief executive said, "We are sleepwalking towards an age of avoidable crisis. One in seven people on the planet go hungry every day despite the fact that the world is capable of feeding everyone. The food system must be overhauled." It's easy to call for action, but the change that is necessary will probably not come quick enough. Are you concerned about a global food crisis?

You may have heard of the miracle berry, the flavor-tripping fruit that changes the tongue's taste bud molecules, allowing foods that are sour or bitter to taste deceptively sweet. Well, one prominent chef's hoping to give the fruit a purpose that supersedes its trippy reputation: alleviating world hunger.

At the TED2011 conference, chef Homaro Cantu (who is known for pushing boundaries in molecular cuisine at his Chicago restaurant, Moto), suggested the berry could help broaden the world's dwindling food supply by making items like tree branches and edible grasses more palatable.

"This miracle berry tricks your tongue into thinking all these [edible] bitter and disgusting things taste great. We've eliminated all food miles, all herbicides, pesticides, fungicides; we've made food more healthy," Cantu explained. What do you think? Could you foresee this being a viable solution to the world food crisis that we're facing today?

Is KFC trying to make amends for the Double Down, its infamous sandwich made with chicken patties instead of bread? The chicken chain is taking a break from inventing indulgent new foods to fight hunger, starting next Tuesday. Over the next few weeks, KFC will temporarily close more than 15,000 locations during the lunch rush and convert them into "World Hunger Relief Kitchens."

The kitchens will serve free grilled chicken meals to needy families while also raising awareness with charitable food drives and car washes at the shuttered stores. Fighting hunger is a pet cause of parent company Yum Brands, which launched a World Hunger Relief fund in 2007. Though there is some irony to KFC giving away free grilled chicken while it's being sued for grilled chicken, I can definitely get behind this good cause.

What do you think about the store closings: publicity stunt or sincere do-gooding?

I've heard lots of people say "I'm always hungry," but Kate Kane really, scientifically is. She suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Prader-Willi syndrome, a chromosomal flaw that affects the hypothalamus. Kane appeared on Good Morning America today to discuss her struggle with this unusual disorder. Check out a segment below.

Sadly, there is no cure. However, when she was 23, Kane moved into a home for adults with Prader-Willi and has since lost 150 pounds. Meanwhile, groups such as the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association can help sufferers and their families find help.