While young people can eat everything in sight, older people often lose appetite. It's important to know why to stay healthy at any age. "Our body tells us more or less what to eat and when to eat, and maybe we should listen," said Susanne Klaus, a chief researcher at the German Institution of Human Nutrition.
That makes sense. But the way our body demands energy of us isn't the same throughout our lifetimes. ALSO READ: Here's how nutrition and a healthy lifestyle can prevent NCDs among adolescents From being spoon-fed by parents when we're infants to sneaking sugary sweets when we're children, to eating everything in sight as teenagers and then pecking on small, simple plates in later stages of life, our appetites change as the years roll on.
Understanding why can help ensure good health in our later years. The hunger hormones and how they work At its core, eating food is functional: Without the energy we draw from it, we simply wouldn't survive. Carbohydrates in our food are converted into energy while fats and amino acids help create the vital proteins and other structures that help the body function.
To ensure these processes run like clockwork, the body has special systems to ensure a regular energy supply. ALSO READ: Child nutrition: Remember these 5 vital healthy eating tips for children "These [are self-regulating] mechanisms that drive hunger and satiety," said Klaus. "They're mainly signals from the stomach and intestine but also from hormones, such as leptin, which.