Let Hunger Be Your Guide? Being Hungry Before a Meal is Associated with Healthier Levels of Post-Meal Blood Glucose

Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests that when people eat might be as important for their health as what or how much they eat. Consumers initiate eating behavior in response to a number of factors including time of day, food availability, and hunger. The present research examines whether feeling hungry might reflect a time at which it is relatively healthy for individuals to initiate eating. Specifically, the present research examines whether differences in hunger predict differences in an important health measure, namely post-meal blood glucose. The results show that post-meal blood glucose is highest when people are not at all hungry and relatively lower when people are moderately hungry or very hungry. When people are very hungry, post-meal glucose is not lower and possibly slightly higher than when people are moderately hungry. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that, from a health standpoint, it is beneficial to eat when moderately hungry.

Keywords: hunger, blood glucose, meal timing, intuitive eating

JEL Classification: I10