Eating facts for kids
Eating means taking in food. We eat to get energy and important nutrients. It can also be very enjoyable! People and animals need to eat because, unlike plants, they can't make their own food inside their bodies.
Contents
How Your Brain Controls Eating
Your brain plays a big role in telling you when to eat and when to stop. A part of your brain called the brain stem helps control how much food you take in. It has special circuits that notice signals from your body about being hungry or full.
Hunger Signals from the Brain
Deep inside your brain, there's an area called the hypothalamus. This area produces tiny chemicals called peptides that make you feel hungry. Two important ones are called melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) and orexin. MCH is especially important for making you feel hungry.
Feeling Full: Satiety Signals
When you've eaten enough, your body sends signals to your brain to tell you to stop. A hormone called leptin helps with this. Leptin goes to your hypothalamus and tells it to stop making the hunger chemicals (MCH and orexin). This makes you feel full and satisfied.
Different Ways People Eat
The way people eat their meals can be very different around the world. This is because culture plays a big part in our eating habits.
Eating on the Floor
In many Middle Eastern countries, it's common to eat while sitting on the floor. Some people believe this way of eating is even healthier than sitting at a table.
Eating While Reclining
Long ago, the Ancient Greeks liked to eat in a reclining (lying back) position during their celebrations called a symposium. The Ancient Romans later adopted this custom. Even the Ancient Hebrews used this posture for their traditional Passover celebrations.
Eating and Your Health
Normally, we eat because we feel hungry. However, many things can affect our appetite and change our normal eating patterns. These can include feeling sad or worried, having allergies to certain foods, or other health issues.
Understanding Eating Disorders
Sometimes, people have serious problems with eating that are called eating disorders. These are real medical conditions that affect how a person eats and thinks about food.
Anorexia Nervosa
In anorexia nervosa, people eat very little food because they are extremely afraid of gaining weight. This can lead to them becoming very underweight and can seriously harm their health.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa involves cycles of eating a very large amount of food quickly (called binge eating). After a binge, people might try to get rid of the food by making themselves vomit, exercising too much, or using laxatives. These actions are very unhealthy.
Images for kids
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Amandines de Provence, a poster from 1900
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Women eating biscuits in England
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A girl eating a piece of cake
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Eating with a fork at a restaurant
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A traditional way of eating in Uzbekistan
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A girl using chopsticks
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Ethiopians eating with their hands
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A German Shepherd puppy eating from a human hand
See also
In Spanish: Alimentación para niños
