Ever wondered why you feel hungrier after weight loss? Click here to know the answer.
![Heres Why You Feel Hungrier After Weight Loss Heres Why You Feel Hungrier After Weight Loss](https://i.ndtvimg.com/i/2017-10/mid-night-hunger-pangs_650x400_51509188654.jpg?q=50)
The ghrelin hormone makes us feel hungry after weight loss
HIGHLIGHTS
- When we lose weight, the stomach releases greater amounts of ghrelin
- This hormone makes you feel hungrier
- The level of ghrelin does not adjust over time, but remains high
"Everyone has this hormone, but if you've been overweight and then lose weight, the hormone level increases," Martins said.
However, the level of ghrelin does not adjust over time, but remains high. This means it's likely that people who have been overweight will have to deal with increased hunger pangs for the rest of their lives, Martins said.
On the other hand, people who have lost weight need less energy to maintain their new and lighter bodies. Yet they feel hungrier, because the body is trying to get that weight back.
The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, examined appetite in patients who participated in a comprehensive 2-year weight loss programme.
Patients started out weighing 125 kg on average, but lost an average of 11 kg after two years. Two out of ten manage to keep weight down after programme.
The research suggested that it's important to know which physiological mechanisms resist weight loss.
"People can lose motivation and have trouble following the diet and exercise advice. All of this makes it difficult to maintain the new lower weight," Martins noted.
"Obesity is a daily struggle for the rest of one's life. We have to stop treating it as a short-term illness by giving patients some support and help, and then just letting them fend for themselves."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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