There are times you find yourself constantly hungry. You have no idea why but you keep eating. Just because you are hungry does not mean you need the calories. The medical conditions below explain why you are always hungry:

Depression
According to Holly Lofton, MD, weight management specialist and director of the medical weight management program at NYU Langone Medical Center, eating can be a coping mechanism for people with depression or anxiety. Part of this might be because they don’t have enough of the feel-good hormone serotonin, and eating comfort foods like pasta and bread can bring those levels up.

Stress
During fight or flight mode, the stress hormone cortisol floods your body, which convinces your body to eat, even if you don’t physically need the calories. In the words of Shanna Levine:

It’s not out of necessity, but cortisol tells your brain that you’re not full. That’s why stress causes people to overeat.

Obesity
Overeating can lead to weight gain, but in a vicious cycle, obesity itself can also make you hungry all the time. Excess fat could cause your insulin levels to skyrocket, making your appetite to go up in response. Fat produces its own hormones, part of obesity is that people tend to feel more hungry than someone with higher metabolism and in better shape.

Hypoglycemia
According to Dr. Lofton, low blood sugar can come from a number of causes, from meal skipping to pancreas problems. However, the result is the same: a growly tummy while the body begs for an energy boost. The body produces hunger as a signal to the brain to tell you to take in more food to have enough blood glucose to enter the cells.

Menstruation
Hormonal changes during your period could lead you to eat a lot. However, you also need more calories to keep up with your body’s extra demands during that time of the month. According to Dr. Levine, it’s a high-energy state for your body, which is why women tend to feel tired and dehydrated. In any type of high-energy state, the body physically requires more calories.