Why Some People Get “Hangry” More Easily Than Others

Hunger can affect anyone’s mood, but for some people, it triggers irritation or anger much faster. This emotional reaction to hunger, popularly called being “hangry,” is more than just a joke — it has a psychological explanation.

The idea is easy to understand through everyday life. A child happily playing can suddenly burst into tears, not because of pain or fear, but simply because mealtime has passed. Adults experience the same thing, even if it shows up as impatience, frustration, or poor decision-making instead of crying.

Although hunger is a basic human experience, researchers have only recently begun to study how it influences daily moods. Most earlier research focused on people with eating or metabolic disorders, leaving out how hunger affects healthy individuals in normal situations.

To better understand this, researchers monitored 90 healthy adults over one month using continuous glucose sensors. These devices tracked blood sugar levels throughout the day. Participants also reported how hungry they felt and rated their mood using their smartphones.

The results were surprising. People did not automatically feel moody when their blood sugar dropped. Instead, their mood worsened only when they became consciously aware that they were hungry. Even more interesting, people who were better at noticing changes in their body’s energy levels were less likely to experience strong mood swings.

This awareness of internal body signals is known as interoception. Hunger signals begin in the hypothalamus, but the conscious feeling of hunger is processed in another brain area linked to emotions. Those who could accurately read these signals seemed better at controlling their emotional responses.

Why does this matter? Sudden hunger-related mood changes can affect relationships, lead to impulsive choices, and encourage unhealthy eating habits. Over time, regularly ignoring hunger cues can take a toll on both mental and physical health.

Children are especially vulnerable because they are still learning how to interpret their body’s signals and are easily distracted. Adults, too, can miss early hunger signs due to busy schedules and digital distractions, often realizing they are hungry only when their mood has already shifted.

Simple habits can help reduce the risk of getting hangry. Eating at regular times, staying physically active, and paying closer attention to hunger signals can make a big difference. Exercise, in particular, helps improve how the body manages energy and sharpens hunger awareness.

In the end, hunger usually plays a small role among many factors that shape our mood. Still, recognizing and responding to it early can prevent unnecessary stress, emotional outbursts, and strained interactions. Being mindful of hunger is a simple but powerful way to stay balanced — both emotionally and physically.

Source: Independent (UK)