HUNGER (Hunger Gradation Evaluation and Resolution): The Basis of Obesity Care

This communication describes hunger awareness training as a means of managing appetite, optimizing nutritional intake,and improving obesity-related outcomes. The HUNGER (Hunger Gradation Evaluation and Resolution) games use theendocrine, nervous (sensory, autonomic, and motor), and psycho-cognitive symptoms and signals of hunger to help controlunnecessary food intake. The model lists three types of hunger - homeostatic, habitual, and hedonistic, as opposed to the conventional binary classification of homeostatic and hedonistic cues. Habitual hunger can be defined as eating due to pre-set habits, activated by routines of time, place of company, without either physiological need or pleasure. Hunger training stimulates introspection, facilitates self-management of disease, and promotes patient provider communication. It can becustomized according to the needs of the person living with obesity, their caregivers, and the health care system. Furthervalidation of the module is required to utilize it fully.