Growing up, “food fight” didn’t necessarily mean gleeful spaghetti slinging or flour flinging, like in the movies. (Although there was the time my sister rolled in a plate of Jell-O. She was one. Of course we still tease her about it.) Sometimes a food fight just meant that we were arguing because we were hungry – Hiltons don’t tolerate low blood sugar well. I don’t remember who first made the connection between hunger and anger (probably my mom, she’s a very smart nurse and also, well, our mom) but I can remember more than one time where my mom charged into a screaming match with a granola bar in each hand, waving them at us and telling us to just eat something already. Of course I was insulted that she thought an oatmeal cookie was going to fix my VERY SERIOUS THANK YOU teenage problems. Yet it worked more than I’d like to admit.
And we’re not the only ones to get “hangry”, or hungry-angry. In the years since I’ve seen (okay fine, and been in) way too many fights about silly things because one or more of the people involved were starving. Scientists at Ohio State University agree, finding that hangry is a legit scientific phenomenon in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). “Hungry people are cranky people,” says the lead author Brad Bushman, definitively stating what moms have known for centuries. (Note to all my fellow science geeks: The full study isn’t available online yet unless you want to pay a lot of money. So I’m living off press releases right now.)
The study gave couples blood glucose monitors and voodoo dolls (oh the life of a research scientist!) and then instructed each partner to take their blood sugar in the morning and evening. Each person was then told to take their voodoo doll every night and stick pins in it, representing how angry they were with their partner on a scale of 0 – 51. Zero pins meant no anger at all while 51 pins was Lorena Bobbit worthy.
After three weeks, the couples were brought back into the lab. The researchers found that even controlling for a number of variables like overall relationship satisfaction, people with lower blood sugar were more stabby. The hangrier people got, the more the doll became a pincushion. They noted that there was no difference between men and women in how they were affected.
The couples were then told to play a confusing and weirdly vindictive computer game that allowed them to punish their partners with loud, annoying noises like “fingernails on a chalkboard combined with an air horn.” (I really want to know who thought of that combo!) And the scientists again found that the people with the lowest blood sugar doled out the most punishment. Bushman speculated that this could make blood sugar a possible factor in domestic violence – although I’m going to say that feels like a huge stretch to me. I’ve seen people get plenty angry when they’re hungry but I’ve never seen anyone get violent because of it. Yell at a waiter? Yes. Smack somebody? No. Plus, I think the causes of domestic violence go a lot farther back than lunchtime. Either way people should know not to hit other people, even if they are hangry.
Bushman concluded, “So if you are having a discussion with your spouse about a conflict situation, make sure you’re not hungry.” He advises skipping candy bars and other high-sugar foods, which can spike blood glucose but lead to a crash. Instead, go for something nutritious.
I’ll admit that for myself, I don’t get hangry so much as I get hungry-depressed (dungry? hunpressed? Hahah that sounds like I’m getting bench-pressed by Attila!). When I’m super hungry I just kind of give up on everything. I can’t make decisions, even if it’s where to eat. I get whiny and morose and then just quiet. It’s amazing (and kinda sad) how quickly my gut-brain connection goes from hunky dory to it’s not worth trying anymore!
So in honor of hangry becoming a real science-backed thing, I came up with 10 emotion-food portmanteaus for Shape:
Exeravenous: Exercise-ravenous. Extreme hunger brought on by an extra intense workout.
“Let’s skip the smoothie bar and head straight to the buffet. After that workout I’m so exeravenous that even this lemon-scented towel is starting to look good! I need some real food.”
Cakecation: Cake-vacation. Giving yourself permission to eat whatever food you want on your vacation.
“Of course I’m having Nutella crepes with sprinkles for dinner! I’m on cakecation!”
Pre-munchstrating: Premenstrual munching. PMS is famous for causing wicked cravings. At least now we have a name for it?
“I just downed a pint of rocky road in 10 minutes. I must be pre-munchstrating.”
Stracking: Stress-snacking. Worrying so much about something that you don’t even realize you’re popping handfuls of yogurt raisins until the bag is empty.
“Deadlines are looming, I have a big date tonight, the forecast is snow again and I just realized I stracked my way through sixteen servings of pretzels! Not helping!”
Brunchies: Bored-munchies. Keeping yourself occupied in boring situations by munching on whatever’s handy.
“I can’t take one more round of singing The Wheels on the Bus! I don’t care if that means I lose the mother of the year award. Besides, I’ve eaten all the toddler’s fishy crackers thanks to major brunchies. And they didn’t even taste good.”
Remorsefull: Remorse-full. That immediate pang of regret you get when you realize you’ve eaten way too much junk.
“That box of cronuts was so delish they were totally worth the six-week waiting list to get them! But maybe I shouldn’t have eaten all of them at once – I’m so stuffed, I’m remorsefull!”
Chocomotional: Chocolate-emotional. That panicked, desperate feeling when nothing but a box of salted caramel chocolate truffles will do.
“That presentation couldn’t have gone worse. Where are the M&M’s? I’m feeling chocomotional!”
Drunkies: Drunk-munchies. It’s the equivalent of beer goggles for food!
“You know what really goes good with this beer? Pretzels. And peanuts. And pizza. Oh and friend pickles!” “Girl, you have the drunkies.”
Holidaze: Holiday-daze. That blurry period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s where you eat your fave festive foods knowing you won’t have them again until next year.
“Maybe I shouldn’t be drinking a peppermint hot chocolate every day anymore now that I’m out of the holidaze.”
Stressarvation: Stress-starvation. When you’re so overwhelmed that the thought of eating anything makes you want to puke.
“I know your family is going through some really tough stuff now but you need to eat something! They wouldn’t want you suffering from stressarvation.”
Bonus: Fappy: Fat and happy!
New dad and “sexiest man alive” Channing Tatum recently told Ellen Degeneres about relaxing with his new family, “Right now, what me and my wife like to call it—I am very ‘fappy’. I’m very fat and happy right now.” As he should be!
So do you get hangry? Or do you have a different emotion when you get hungry? Do you have a made-up word to add to my list??
Psst – I’ll bet you mean FRIED pickles, not FRIEND pickles. Took me forever to figure out what the heck a friend pickle might be and whether or not I needed to have one NOW.
I absolutely get hangry. And of course, when I’m starving, nothing sounds good. I mean nothing. Especially if it involves any sort of effort on my part. So I just curl up in a ball and be miserable. (And share the wealth…) Maybe I should clue my hubby in – and he could just bring me a handful of almonds or something. Nah.
Buwhahahah yes! FRIED. Although I’m leaving the typo because friend pickles is hilarious. And of course you need to have one now;)
When I get too hungry, I turn into an adult toddler. Whiny, crabby, and unreasonable. I don’t know what I want and trying to figure it out just makes it worse. Very unattractive look for a grown woman, let me tell you.
I also get pet food commercial hungry, where I try to eat my food at a human pace but end up taking giant disgusting bites, like dogs eating that heaping bowl of food in commercials. Swallowing chunks whole and spilling on myself then licking the food off my clothes. Again, a very unattractive look for a grown woman.
I also have hunger induced moments of amnesia. Like a food black out. I’ll think “I’ll have this one little cookie while I wait for my bread to toast” and the next thing I know I’m coming to to the sound of the toaster beeping and I’ve eaten half a dozen cookies. Sadly, the peanut butter jar induces this blackout. I always think “just one little spoonful” and then find myself elbow deep in the jar like a wild animal.
So very sad.
Bwahahaha. I SO relate to this whole post.
“pet food commercial hungry” is the best thing I’ve heard all day! This whole comment. Laughed. SO. Hard.
I just get really ligtheaded and slow if I get hungry, but I definitely know some hangry people! And on theDV note a friend’s boyfriend who was quite aggressive anyway would have crazy outbursts at her when hangry!
I am not an Alter-Ate, nor a practitioner of alter-eating.
Long ago chose to refrain from worshiping “Victuals” the God of Groceries to comfort me or make me feel better.
I’m not sure that eating to control blood sugar, which in turn controls many other mood and body regulating hormones, is anywhere close to “worshiping the God of Groceries.” I think it’s rather prudent, truthfully.
And Prudence is the mother of all Virtues. 🙂
Rightly spoken! Eating to control blood sugar is NOT “worshiping at the God of Groceries”.
EXcellent motivation!
Eating for health, eating for life is always cool and necessary!
But that is not the kind of eating I was referring to.
If you think of “revenge” as not being a valid motivation in life… because it is simply an emotional response…
…then “worshiping the God of Groceries” also refers to an emotional response…which is not a great motivation for eating.
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Like you, I get hungry-depressed. This makes sugar extra-tempting, since it takes me from “life has no meaning” to “wheeeee, this is fun!” in a single cookie. Okay, several cookies.
For the record, but “fap” and “fapping” are popular internet slang for masturbation. If you tell people you feel fappy and their eyebrows shoot up, you’ll know why.
Ahhh seriously?! I wonder if Channing Tatum was punking us all? Good to know though – I will NOT use that one… in polite company:)
There are definitely people in my immediate family whom I have to keep fed. Otherwise I’m likely to lose an appendage.
I find I get sleepy if I don’t eat. Of course, lately, I’m pretty much sleepy no matter what…
Azusmom!
Assuming you still have your appendages and thus can still type…
Did you ever hear back from Peter Capaldi?
Yep, that’s totally me! My husband knows all the signs and will ask me, “Do you need something to eat?” I always snap back that I don’t but most of the time he’s hit the nail on the head. I don’t like to admit that I’m being irrational just because I’m starving. I also have toddler-like meltdowns when I’m overtired. My poor husband. It’s especially ironic when you consider the fact that he’s the diabetic. It just makes him much more aware of not letting his blood sugar get low I guess. Though on the rare occasion that it does and he’s not aware, he can be truly nasty so I don’t doubt the blood sugar mood connection.
So interesting about your husband’s diabetes! Diabetics probably did make this connection long before the rest of us, lol!
Oh definitely! My husband’s mom warned me about it when we were first dating 🙂 Years of long experience from dealing with him and his dad, also a Type I diabetic.
I am the queen of brunchies 🙂
And yes…I definitely get hangry. I’ve noticed this the last few years and now have an apple or granola bar with me at all times to keep me from being cranky from being hungry. I tried to deny it, but I’ve been lovingly informed that it’s necessary.
Weirdly, I get, uh, “thangry”(?!) more than hangry. I’m more more likely to scream at someone for no good reason when they are between me and the drinking fountain and I feel like I’m gonna die if I do not get water rightthissecond.
Not to say i don’t get crabby when I’m hungry, but I think I’m more likely to do the whole curl-up-in-an-indecisive-ball-of-depression thing than bite someone’s head off. Actually, now that I think about it, I think I’m more likely to be angry-hungry when what i have eaten that day hasn’t been so good for me. Like on Saturday when I went out with a friend and even though it was a wonderful time it just turned into this dietary nightmare of a free doughnut (free calories don’t count!), a mediocre grilled cheese sandwich, sorbet I didn’t really want, and a Popsicle. A few hours after I got home and went to the gym with my husband I felt like I was going to have a full-blown temper-tantrum if I didn’t get some spinach, STAT!
This: ” I’m more likely to be angry-hungry when what i have eaten that day hasn’t been so good for me. ” YES!! I hadn’t quite thought of it that way but you’re so right – the more junk I’ve had the more insatiable I feel and the crabbier I feel about eating. Sigh.
Yeah, we get hangry (more like hunger-cranky than all out anger, but hranky doesn’t sound as good and hanky gives the complete wrong impression ;D).
There are many times that “I’m sorry about the things I said out of hunger” is said around my house (not just by me). I learned first that when I’m on the bike in the triathlon, and the negative thoughts start to come out, it’s time to shove food in my face, and now it’s second nature (why am I here, why do I suck at biking… oh wait… nomnomnom… wheeee, all is good again!). For some reason, it takes more for me to remember about it in daily life, but if I’m cranky, I usually do the “when and what did I eat last” check and that’s typically the solution.
hranky… yeah, no. THis: “There are many times that “I’m sorry about the things I said out of hunger” is said around my house (not just by me).” made me smile.
I don’t get cranky when I am hungry but I do refer to myself as Tired ’n Sore Rex when I over-due on the hiking usually. You know the look. Small beady hate filled eyes that are just looking for a victim. Big mouth (always), big sore swollen feet, brain may shrink to the size of a walnut and back end that knocks everything over.
Best. Visual. EVER.
Very clever! Love these. 🙂
Oh… My… I hate to be the one to point this out, but regardless of what Channing Tatum says, “fap” has a specific slang meaning. You may want to reconsider that one.
Ah, seriously?? I wonder if Channing Tatum was just messing with us?
I do get hangry! I often eat in front of my students- either an apple or greek yogurt. They understand because I tell them straight up that they don’t want me to be HANGRY or HANNOYED. They know what that means and laugh. But yeah, I gotta eat or my fuse is SO short.
Hannoyed, lol!
Oh I get HANGRY like WHOA. It’s especially bad at work, when I’m trying to make lunch and of course, that is when every student and colleague stalks my office or stops me in the hall and I just want to scream! Definitely one of the many times that I wish I were more of a snacker.
I think I need a cakecation.
The best part is I can totally imagine your face – trying to rein it in while they stand between you and your food, hahaha!
I completely become a pre-munchstrating, zongry (zoned hungry), and otherwise unpleasant person. I think I started ‘zoning’ so that I wouldn’t turn into a yeller and so any time I’m upset, frustrated, and/or starving I zone out and that really means trouble. If I go quiet, better feed me quick! Oh, and don’t make me decide anything till fed… 🙂
Zongry – I love it!!
I totally get hangry. One day I found myself arguing with a police officer, because they had blocked off the street and he was telling me I had to walk the long way around to go pick up my takeout. When I finally realized what I was doing (me, rule-bound as they come, and one who usually hides from confrontation), I stopped. I like to joke I once got so hangry I almost got myself arrested.
I also become a really bad driver when starving. Like nearly take out a cyclist when parking on the street kind of bad driver. I totally miss things and make terrible decisions. (What word could we invent for that? Still working on a good one….).
Hey Sabrina!
How about “Empdebility”?
Which is a combination of “Empty” and “Debility”.
A debility – a weakened or feeble state, metal or physical weakness, in this case caused by being “empty” or hungry.
” I like to joke I once got so hangry I almost got myself arrested.” Hahahah that’s awesome! I’m glad you caught yourself though – no takeout is worth ending up in jail;)
I have the pdf of the original PNAS paper about this study; would you like me to email it to you, Charlotte?
Also, my boyfriend and I definitely have had “hangry”-induced spats, which is one reason making progress in ED recovery has been so rewarding . . .
I’d LOVE that!! You know how I love research:) my email addy is chariander AT gmail DOT com Thank you!
Oh I absolutely hated it when my mother responded to my teenage outbursts with ‘You must be tired or hungry.’ Of course she was always right, but that was entirely beside the point!
Pre-munchstrating and remorsefull are going straight in my monthly vocabulary list as main culprits. Any ideas for when you wake up ravenous (or come out of an otherwise focused state and realise you definitely should have eaten by now)?
Hmmm… I’ll have to think on that one! But I definitely know what you mean. I’ve been woken up by my stomach growling and I’m like “wha….?!” Go back to bed tummy!
I can’t see your comment about Epiphanosh on here but I love it. Totally had an epiphanosh at 4am this morning which was entirely unhelpful!
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My husband gets so hangry/hirritating he can’t stop and go eat even if I keep saying you have to go eat something that is why you are screaming. But he can’t even control himself to go out and grab something to eat. Is awful.
What can I do to convince him to go eat directly instead of just screaming and being nervous? He can’t focus!
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