Appetite - increased

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• Y

Lower digestive anatomy

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.

Hyperphagia; Increased appetite; Hunger; Excessive hunger; Polyphagia

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.

• 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.