Is it normal to want to eat 24/7?

Sure, I’m under a lot of stress these days. But I think about eating pretty much ALL the time. Has anyone else ever experienced this? It kind of bothers me. I haven’t gained a lot of weight (yet) but I sure ain’t losing any, and I should.

Are you currently dieting? I know I think about eating much more often if I’m on a particularly depriving diet. Also, it’s possible that food is your mind’s default “I’m bored” thought. I find myself thinking about whether it’s time to eat yet if I’m bored or not otherwise occupied. I’ve tried to break that cycle by developing some new hobbies that occupy me for longer stints than eating would, and that I can’t eat and do at the same time- most recently, knitting. If I’m bored, instead of preparing something, I’ll go knit. Do be careful about your eating, though- sometimes this sort of mindset can develop into an eating disorder, which is what happened with me.

My girlfriend does this in the winter months–seems to be a symptom of Seasonal Affective Disorder for her. A good dosage of crazy pills for a few months out of the year and it goes away for her.
As always, IANAD, YMMV, etc.

Could be a ghrelin issue.

I spend a lot of time either eating or thinking about food myself, used to be massively, morbidly obese, and still am medically, though most people think I’m “normal” at just a little over 200 pounds. If this becomes habit for you, I imagine you’ll probably wind up in the same boat but hope you can overcome it.

Are you pregnant?

Hmm, I didn’t know what that was, so I checked out wiki. "Ghrelin is a hormone produced by P/D1 cells lining the fundus of the human stomach that stimulate appetite. Ghrelin levels increase before meals and decrease after meals. It is considered the counterpart of the hormone leptin, produced by adipose tissue, which induces satiation when present at higher levels.

Ghrelin levels in the plasma of obese individuals are lower than those in leaner individuals. Yildiz and colleagues found that the level of ghrelin increases during the time of day from midnight to dawn in thinner people, suggesting a flaw in the circadian system of obese individuals.[12] Professor Cappuccio of the University of Warwick has recently discovered that short sleep duration may also lead to obesity, through an increase of appetite via hormonal changes. Lack of sleep produces ghrelin, which stimulates appetite and creates less leptin which, amongst its many other effects, suppresses appetite."

[Very interesting. Short sleep duration, sleep apnea from being overweight —> more overweight. I really need to use that CPAP machine.]

I wouldn’t say I’m technically hungry 24/7, but I want food 24/7. It’s mostly emotional though.

When I was vegetarian I was always hungry, because I didn’t eat enough protein to keep up with my lifestyle, and it seemed like I couldn’t eat enough at one sitting to not be hungry three hours later.

Now that my diet has shifted a bit (basically low-carb and without much dairy), and I reliably eat a big breakfast, I’m a lot less hungry all the time.

I am technically morbidly obese too, though I am so tall (6’4") that most people don’t think I look too terrible either.
It might be S.A.D.; I’ve heard tanning can help that. Can anyone relate any frst-hand experience on that matter?

There’s definitely an emotional/boredom component to this. But I’m in my early 30s (and a man, incidentally) so I feel kind of strang about admitting I might have some sort of emotional problem. Aren’t I too old for that?

Of course its normal. I want to eat 24/7 and I’m normal.

Hmmm, no. I only want to eat when I’m hungry. If I’m not hungry, and I “made myself” eat, it would be pretty nauseating for me.

Not tanning but use of SAD full-spectrum lamps.

Nah, we all go through phases in life. Has anything changed for you recently?

I do during my period now and then, but I think Lizard is male.

No, it’s not normal. After eating a meal the idea of eating more food should be viscerally unappealing.

As for the gaining weight part, I think this should be a universal rule for men and it goes something like this: as long as you can see the base of your penis by looking down you’re fine. If there ever comes a day when you can’t, run around the block screaming bloody murder. Run until you can see it.