I eat roughly 5-6 meals a day as I always feel hungry and need to eat every 2-3 hours.
Even when I eat wholegrain food, it cannot sustain me for more than 2 hours. I cannot eat light food like noodles
or fruits as it can't fill me up and I will need to eat again within an hour. However, dinner can sustain me for
longer, 4-5 hours.
Is it normal to feel hungry so often throughout the day? I'm a housewife and do housework after
breakfast but nothing strenuous the rest of the day. I experience gastric pains from time to time. Is the hunger
due to gastric?
I'm 41 years old with a BMI of 19.2 and my weight is stable.
Dr Law Ngai Moh, Gastroenterology, Raffles Hospital
Eating small and regular meals is a healthy eating habit as it allows the stomach and
intestine ample time for grinding and digestion of food. However, some individuals with rapid emptying of stomach
may feel hungry frequently despite adopting this healthy eating habit. Frequent small snacks in between main meals
are then recommended.
Eating food that delays stomach emptying may help to alleviate the frequent and persistent hungry
sensation. These include high fibre and high calorie food. Cereals and wheat products are recommended for
breakfasts and full meals with meats in higher calories may be taken for lunches if being overweight is not an
issue, as in this case. Finally, in severe cases, medicines that slow stomach emptying may be used on a needed
basis after consulting the doctors.
Medical consultation is needed only if there are other alarming symptoms such as
persistent abdominal pain, vomiting and unintentional weight loss despite a balanced diet.