Overeating Disrupts Digestion and Hormonal Balance

Everyone loves to eat, and generally, our body can digest a certain amount of food. However, there are times when we tend to eat more than necessary, especially if there is delicious food within reach. Overeating disrupts the normal functioning of the body and has serious effects on health. Moreover, eating more food can lead to changes in the body, one of which is feeling even hungrier. However, this doesn't happen just because the stomach enlarges.

After overeating, one might experience drowsiness, laziness, a feeling of a full stomach, and digestive issues. This can result in gas, nausea, or even vomiting. When the body cannot digest so much food, it disrupts the balance of the digestive system. Furthermore, digesting excessive food requires a lot of energy, which reduces the efficiency of other bodily functions, leading to fatigue.

Sometimes, even after overeating, we may feel hungry again the next day. Does overeating actually enlarge the stomach? The answer is that most people don't feel hungry just because they ate too much. The feeling of hunger is driven by physiological changes in the body. Hunger is the urge to eat, and this is triggered by several physiological changes inside the body. When hungry, the stomach changes shape. It contracts when the food is digested and moves to the intestines. A rumbling sound occurs when air and food move downwards, signaling the onset of hunger.

After this sound, the stomach starts to expand again in preparation for new food, influenced by hormones. Ghrelin from the stomach and neuropeptide Y (NPY) and AgRP (agouti-related peptide) from the hypothalamus are hunger-related hormones. When the stomach is empty, ghrelin is released, which signals the brain to produce NPY and AgRP. These two hormones are responsible for the feeling of hunger. On the other hand, leptin is a hormone that suppresses hunger. When ghrelin levels rise, hunger is triggered. After eating, leptin levels tell the brain that the stomach is full. Overeating disrupts this balance.

Overeating can become a habit, and many people think they can stop when they want to, but the intense desire to eat due to habitual eating makes it difficult to stick to a diet plan. Generally, the hormonal system in the stomach signals the brain when the stomach is empty. Still, due to personal habits, specific times of the day, and learned hunger cues, people feel hungry at certain times. So, no matter how much you eat at lunch, you will still feel hungry when it’s time for dinner.