Appetite - increased

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Lower digestive anatomy

Overview

Treatment

Appetite - increased

Definition:

Hunger is a normal desire for food. Hyperphagia and polyphagia refer to being focused only on eating (gluttony), or eating excessively before feeling full. These can be symptoms of various disorders.

Alternative Names:

Hyperphagia; Increased appetite; Hunger; Excessive hunger; Polyphagia

Considerations:

Both psychological and endocrine gland disorders can cause polyphagia, which is fairly common.

Polyphagia can be intermittent (come and go), or persistent, depending on the cause. It does not always result in weight gain.

Common Causes:

Anxiety
Premenstrual syndrome
Bulimia (most common in women between ages 18 and 30 years old)
Diabetes mellitus (including Gestational diabetes)
Graves' disease
Hyperthyroidism
Hypoglycemia
Drugs -- such as corticosteroids, cyproheptadine, and tricyclic antidepressants

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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