Why is it sometimes so hard to control your appetite, either eating too much or not eating at all?

In my experience, eating is used for everything but what it's supposed to be: energy. Food is used for mending a broken heart, curing boredom, filling a void in your life. It's also used for control. So if you use restricting as a way to gain control in your life and it becomes too much, soon you'll have to eat and without that control, you just can't stop at that point. It's a viscous circle of binge/restrict and it's dangerous.

I've noticed that a lot of the time it could be due to how you're feeling. There could be multiple reasons why you either eat too much or too little, and I think depression has a big play into that, as well as just being ill. It'd be best to talk to a doctor or nutritionist if you're interested in learning how to control your appetite, and why that happens.

It's both psychological and biological. In your head, you may be thinking "I want to have some soda and chips" but that your body is really craving is completely different. By keeping track of what you've eaten and how you felt, you can understand where your craving is coming from. Eating when you're hungry rather than when you're bored can help with this problem. This is quite normal and with both practice and time can be managed.

There can be many reasons. It could be from anxiety, stress, traumatic events, thinking you're fat, or anything that is negative in your life. The first thing you need to do Is find out what the root cause is, in other words find out why you are over eating or not eating. Then try to address the event, and make it better. Then talk about it with people, as under eating or over eating can be very dangerous, life threatening, and you can get help for it. Good luck:)

Scientifically speaking, when you feel hungry and you eat something it will take your brain over 20 minutes to register the fact that you are full and by then you have already finished the whole plate, so that can explain the eating too much dilemma. As for the eating too little, there are times when people just don't feel hungry due to having a lot of liquids before consuming a meal. And no one can control their appetite. There are studies that the appetite of a person is linked to the emotions that they feel or the mood they are in and controlling emotions is pretty hard.

Sometimes, it's about the foods we are eating and the stress we are under. Also, people with certain mood disorders like depression, anxiety, and bipolar mania suffer from "up-and-down" appetite. If you are concerned, speak with your doctor.

It is hard to control your appetite because sometimes eating can make you feel better and the same goes with not eating. It can sometimes make you feel like you are better whilst actually harming yourslef.

It depends if you are really willing to eat or not. Because sometimes, you can get too bored or excited and you end up eating everything.

I have learned from a lot of experience that mainly sometimes we are in fact thirsty, not hungry! therefore we are prone to mistaking that for hunger and overeating. In terms of undereating, sometimes you may not realize that youre hungry until you feel hunger pangs, and so you proceed to eat. However if you eat small amounts throughout the day you will have an effective balance!

Your emotional help. Stressed? Thats usually a biggy in whether people overeat or undereat. Next time you feel stressed or upset or angry- go for a run, read a book instead of skewering your appetite. And once it becomes habit and routine.. its kind of tough to change.