Fake Hunger: Manufactured Appetite in a Country That’s Already Full
- Madhukar Dama
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
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INTRODUCTION: THE FULL STOMACH STILL WANTS MORE
You are not hungry.
You are triggered.
Tempted.
Manipulated.
You’ve eaten.
Your cells are full.
Your stomach has no complaint.
But you still want that packet. That bite. That sip.
Because your hunger is no longer biological — it is commercial.
Welcome to the era of Fake Hunger.
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HUNGER IS NO LONGER A SIGNAL — IT’S A STIMULUS RESPONSE
Real hunger rises slowly.
It is felt in the body.
It respects time, rhythm, and simplicity.
Fake hunger is sudden.
It is felt in the tongue.
It demands flavour, crunch, heat, packaging, urgency.
Real hunger says: “Give me food.”
Fake hunger says: “Give me stimulation.”
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HOW FAKE HUNGER IS MANUFACTURED — THE MECHANICS OF CRAVING
1. The Look Trap — Visual Hijack
Food is no longer cooked. It is marketed.
Your brain has been trained to salivate at:
Zomato’s red hot banners at 5 p.m.
Swiggy’s “Hot Deals in Your Area”
Domino’s slow-motion cheese pull reels
MasterChef-style street food YouTube thumbnails
Binge-worthy “food vlogs” that show no one eating simple meals
Fake hunger is born from pixels, not plates.
2. The Smell Game — Synthetic Appetite Creation
Supermarkets and malls use artificial food aroma diffusers to trigger hunger.
It’s not coincidence you crave popcorn inside PVR Cinemas.
It’s designed manipulation.
Restaurants release oil-heavy fumes onto streets.
Bakeries use vanillin-scented candles to make you feel like their cakes are fresh.
You are not hungry — you are chemically deceived.
3. Taste Engineering — Layered Addiction
Most Indian snacks now combine:
Fat (for satiety)
Sugar (for reward)
Salt (for craving)
Spices (for excitement)
Brands like Lay’s Magic Masala, Kurkure Green Chutney Rajasthani Style, Bingo Mad Angles, and Too Yumm! use flavour layering — one bite never satisfies, so you keep reaching.
It’s not food.
It’s engineering.
4. Texture Games — Crunch = Power
Crunchy foods release dopamine.
That’s why:
Chips are louder
Fried snacks are crispier
Chocolates now include popping candy or biscuit bits
From Perk Double Bar to Snickers Crisp, the aim is to keep your mouth busy so your brain feels stimulated.
5. Portion Deception — You Ate But You Didn’t Feel It
Fake hunger is fueled by food that doesn’t feel like food:
Juices instead of fruits
Pani puri instead of meals
Energy bars with 100 ingredients
Protein powders instead of lentils
Real food fills.
Fake food fakes fullness.
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INDIAN BRANDS AND THEIR ROLES IN CREATING FAKE HUNGER
Nestlé’s Maggi: 2 minutes to forget you were never hungry.
Britannia’s Cake Slices: Dessert disguised as breakfast.
Haldiram’s Aloo Bhujia: Oil, spice, and nostalgia in one addictive bite.
McDonald's India: McAloo Tikki = Deep fried carb to hit the desi bliss point.
Amul Ice Creams: Emotional indulgence packaged in dairy-fat-sugar highs.
Cadbury Silk / 5 Star 3D: Creamy-chewy-layered so you forget to stop.
Swiggy Instamart: Hunger delivered faster than your thoughts.
Red Bull / Monster / Sting: Fake energy, fake hunger, fake alertness.
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THE CONSEQUENCES: YOU’RE EATING BUT NOT NOURISHED
Bloating with no satisfaction
Excess weight with weak bones
Emotional relief with cellular inflammation
Hyperactive children with weak immunity
Depressed adults with full fridges
Pre-diabetes with a smoothie in hand
Fake hunger makes you eat more — but absorb less.
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FOOD IS NOW ROLEPLAY — NOT NECESSITY
You eat to:
Reward yourself
Belong to a group
Show your lifestyle on Instagram
Fill awkward silences
Escape emotions
Celebrate minor achievements
Real food doesn’t play these roles.
It nourishes quietly.
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HOW TO ESCAPE FAKE HUNGER — PRACTICES THAT RESTORE HONEST APPETITE
1. Fast once a week — let your body remember emptiness
2. Eat plain meals — moong dal khichdi, millets, fruits
3. Ask: “Would I eat boiled lauki?” If no, it’s fake hunger
4. Avoid triggers — especially reels, wrappers, and restaurant lights
5. Rest more — half of fake hunger is sleep-deprivation
6. Hydrate — thirst often masquerades as hunger
7. Walk barefoot before meals — rewire body’s senses
8. Eat only when truly hungry — even if it’s just once a day
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DETAILED CONCISE SUMMARY QUOTE:
“Fake hunger is a clever invention — born not in your belly, but in boardrooms. It hijacks your senses, manufactures craving, and sells you sickness in shiny wrappers. Real hunger is rare now — because stillness, honesty, and simplicity are rare too.”
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CHARLES BUKOWSKI-STYLE POEM
TITLE: “Hungry for the Wrong Thing”
i saw a man
eat six packets of chips
while watching food videos
about organic farmers
he never became.
a girl ate chocolate
because the boy didn’t text back.
a mother gave her kid
a red sugary drink
and called it juice.
this isn’t hunger.
this is grief
with a barcode.
they say we are what we eat.
but we don’t eat food anymore.
we eat convenience,
advertising,
and mood swings.
chew slowly.
it might be your loneliness
you’re biting into.
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