Appetite goes far beyond the stomach-growling ache we know as “hunger”… you know, the gnawing feeling when our stomach is “crying” for food. Appetite is actually any motivation or desire to put calorie-containing substances into our mouths. It is increasingly rare for us in the U.S. to be so “hungry” that our stomach is in pain. Since food is literally everywhere and readily available, we choose to avoid that feeling by eating in advance.