It is necessary to know the seven ages of appetite to improve one’s health. Do you ever wonder how to master your appetite during this period to improve your health? Do we eat to live or do we live to eat? We have a complicated relationship with food, influenced by its cost, accessibility, and even the pressure of our surroundings. But we all have one thing in common: the appetite, that is, our desire to eat. And it evolves throughout our lives following “seven ages of appetite”. What are these seven ages? How can they help us take care of our health or age better? Explanations.
The increase in appetite may have a physical or psychological cause, and hunger (the way our body tells us that it needs food) is not solely responsible for it. After all, we often eat without being hungry and sometimes skip meals despite our belly fat. Recent research shows that the abundance of food-related stimuli in our environment (smells, sounds, advertising) is one of the main causes of overconsumption.
Our diet choices are important to our health and well-being throughout our lives, so it’s important to develop good habits. But not only is our appetite suggestible, but it is not immutable. It evolves as we get older, and there are seven “ages of appetite”.
Better understanding these phases could help us develop new ways to combat under-nutrition and over-consumption, and against their health effects, such as obesity.
How to Master Your Appetite for the First Decade(0-10 Years)?
In early childhood, the body grows very fast. Early childhood eating behavior can have long-term consequences: an overweight child is likely to remain in adulthood. When children are reluctant to eat, meals are sometimes a real ordeal for them and their parents. But by having them taste everything regularly, in a positive spirit, we can get the little ones used to essential foods, like vegetables.
*** Don’t Force Your Child to “Finish Their Plate”
Another important point: children must maintain control over the size of the portions they swallow. If they are forced to “finish their plate,” they risk losing their ability to listen to their appetite and the hunger signals that their body sends to them, which can lead to overeating later.
*** Don’t Expose Young Children to Food Advertisements
In addition, more and more countries are calling for avoiding exposing young children to advertisements for products that are too fat or too sweet, not only on television but also in smartphone applications and on the Internet. Indeed, these spots encourage overconsumption and contribute to an increase in the number of overweight children.
How to Master Your Appetite for the Second Decade(10-20 Years)?
In adolescence, the increase in appetite and the growth spurts caused by hormones announce the arrival of puberty and the passage to adulthood. The way a teenager feeds will influence his or her future lifestyle. This means that these young people’s food choices will have a direct impact on the health of their own children. Unfortunately, if they are not well advised, teens sometimes adopt harmful eating habits and preferences.
*** Young Women Are More Vulnerable to Deficiencies
More studies are needed to determine the most effective ways of solving the problem of over-nutrition and undernutrition, linked in particular to poverty and social inequalities. In general, young women are more vulnerable to deficiencies than men because of the functioning of their reproductive system. Pregnant teens are even more at risk because their bodies need both their own growth and that of their fetus.
How to Master Your Appetite for the Third Decade( 20-30 Years)?
In young adults, lifestyle changes such as pursuing higher education, marriage, and parenting can lead to weight gain.
These unwieldy pounds are often hard to lose: the body sends powerful signals of hunger when we are not eating enough, but the signals that warn us that we are eating too much are much weaker. Many physiological and psychological factors make it difficult to eat less in the long run.
*** How to Develop a Sense of Satiety?
Recent research focuses on ways to develop a sense of satiety, that is, the feeling of having eaten enough. This is useful when trying to lose weight since hunger is one of the main difficulties to overcome when you want to eat less than what the body needs, and thus create a calorie deficit.
*** Food Does Not Send Correct Messages to the Brain
Food does not send the same messages to the brain. It is easy to swallow a whole pot of ice, for example, because fat does not send signals to make us stop eating. On the other hand, foods rich in protein, water or fiber give us a feeling of satiety more important and sustainable. By working with the agri-food industry, one can imagine developing new foods or snacks capable of acting on satiety.
How to Master Your Appetite for the Fourth Decade(30-40 Years)?
The active life also brings its share of complications: a stomach that gurgles, of course, but also the effects of stress, which would alter the appetite and eating behavior of 80% of people. Some people gorge themselves, others lose their appetite. These contrasting reactions are intriguing: the phenomenon of “addiction to food”, this irrepressible desire to eat specific foods, often high in calories, is still poorly known. Many researchers even question its existence. Character traits such as perfectionism and rigor may also play a role in stress management and eating behavior.
*** How to Ensure the Well-Being and Productivity of Employees?
Rethinking the workplace in order to avoid the development of problematic eating habits such as snacking and the use of vending machines is a real challenge. Employers should fund campaigns to promote good eating and stress management to ensure the well-being and productivity of their employees.
How to Master Your Appetite for the Fifth Decade(40-50 Years)?
We are creatures of habits. We tend to give in to them, even when we know them too bad. We are thus reluctant to change our diet, even if it is not dietetic. Yet the word dietary comes from the Greek diaita which means “way of life”. But in spite of everything, we want to continue to eat what we like without having to change the way we live. While keeping a healthy mind in a healthy body…
*** Importance of Diet on Health
Diet can be a major factor in poor health. According to the World Health Organization, smoking, poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, and alcoholism are the lifestyle factors that have the greatest impact on health and mortality.
It is during this decade that adults should change their behavior in the direction most favorable to their health. But the symptoms of poor health (high blood pressure, cholesterol …) are often invisible, not encouraging action.
How to Master Your Appetite for the Sixth Decade(50-60 Years)?
The progressive loss of muscle mass (from 0.5 to 1% per year from the age of fifty) continues throughout our old age. This phenomenon, called sarcopenia, is accelerated by decreased physical activity, inadequate protein intake, and menopause in women.
*** Importance of Varied and Balanced Diet
A varied and balanced diet and regular physical activity are essential to mitigate the effects of age. However, the current offer does not meet the demand of an aging population in search of tasty foods, inexpensive and high in protein.
High protein snacks could be the ideal solution, but for the moment there are few suitable products.
How to Master Your Appetite for the Seventh Decade(60-70 Years and Beyond)?
In view of the increase in life expectancy, one of the main challenges today is to maintain the quality of life of the elderly, on the pain of creating a disability society.
*** Appetite Can Be Affected by Many Reasons
Feeding properly is all the more important as old age causes a loss of appetite and even a decrease in the feeling of hunger, leading to weight loss and therefore greater fragility. Appetite can also be affected by diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Eating is also a form of social interaction, which can be affected by factors such as insecurity, widowhood, or the loss of loved ones. Solitary eating affects the pleasure of eating … In addition to some physical effects of aging, such as difficulty swallowing, tooth problems, partial loss of taste and smell. “Without teeth, without eyes, without taste, without anything. Or old age described by the melancholy Jacques in Shakespeare’s play as you please…
Throughout our lives, the food we eat is not just fuel. Feeding is also a social act and a daily cultural experience. We should consider each meal as a chance to savor what we eat, and appreciate the positive effects of healthy food on our health.