Adolescent Hedonic Hunger

Adolescence represents a major transformation in the lives of young people. In addition to physical changes, mental and/or emotional development progresses rapidly. In this process, the term “hedonic hunger” has an important place among the many challenges and experiences that young people face.

What is Hedonic Hunger?

Hedonic hunger can be defined by Lowe et al. as the pleasure received when consuming food without biological need. Young people in adolescence have a great desire for self-knowledge and want to discover new experiences, which can sometimes be in a food…. 

This desire may sometimes manifest itself in risk-taking, sometimes in the search for social acceptance and sometimes in pushing the limits. In other words, not only physical hunger but also emotional and intellectual dissatisfaction may be among the underlying causes of hedonic hunger. Homeostatic hunger and hedonic hunger are concepts that express different needs and satisfaction processes.

What is the Difference between Hedonic and Homeostatic Hunger?

Homeostatic Hunger: Refers to the basic needs, such as nutrition and hydration, required to maintain the body’s basic biological balance. For example, the feeling of hunger is caused by the body’s need for energy  

Hedonic Hunger: It is an emotional and/or psychological need. Hedonic hunger is a process related to the individual’s desire to be satisfied in a social and emotional context. For example, the desire to eat can be associated not only with physical hunger, but also with factors such as savouring, enjoying or social interaction.

Hedonic hunger is a concept that usually emerges during the period when young people are in search of new experiences, pleasure and excitement. This hunger in adolescence is not limited to the desire to satisfy physiological needs; it also includes the search for emotional, social and intellectual satisfaction. Adolescents may turn to various activities in order to discover their new identities and gain a place in social relations. In this process, factors such as group pressure, risk-taking tendency, and the search for social acceptance can trigger hedonic hunger. 

Managing Hedonic Hunger

Hedonic hunger during adolescence plays an important role in the process of forming young people’s identities. However, it is important to make healthy decisions in this process. In this period, with the increase in sociality, more drinks and food are consumed outside the home. With nutritionists and professional teamwork (doctor etc.); by guiding the food choices purchased and consumed outside the home, primarily by providing training to parents, adolescents should be better understood and supported to better understand this period so that their food choices will be healthier and contribute to a healthy adulthood process.