Health Tip: Are You Actually Hungry?

(HealthDay News) -- When your stomach growls, it's often hunger that's talking. Hunger is your body's way of saying it needs to be nourished.

But there are other things that may prompt you to seek a snack, even when you're not hungry. The American Academy of Family Physicians mentions these "false hunger" signals:

• Being thirsty. Satisfy this by simply drinking a glass of water.
• Craving or having an urge to eat a certain food.
• Feeling emotional, including angry, lonely or sad.
• Being at a social event.
• Noticing that it's your normal meal time.