Yes, increased hunger (polyphagia) is a common symptom of type 2 diabetes, often alongside increased thirst (polydipsia) and frequent urination (polyuria). This happens because your body's cells can't get enough glucose (energy) from the blood, even though there's plenty of sugar; the cells signal the brain that they're starving, prompting you to eat more.
If you have diabetes, you may experience hyperphagia, an excessive hunger that can occur even after eating a meal. This can lead to hunger pangs and cravings that can be both a discomfort and a distraction. Due to insulin dysfunction, this kind of hunger isn't uncommon in people with diabetes.
Early signs of type 2 diabetes often include increased thirst, frequent urination, constant tiredness, increased hunger, blurred vision, slow-healing sores, frequent infections (like UTIs or yeast infections), and dark skin patches in body folds (acanthosis nigricans), though many people have no symptoms initially. These symptoms happen as high blood sugar makes the kidneys work harder to flush out sugar, causing dehydration and other issues.
Symptoms usually occur when blood sugar levels fall below four millimoles (mmol) per litre. Typical early warning signs are feeling hungry, trembling or shakiness, and sweating. In more severe cases, you may also feel confused and have difficulty concentrating.
Changes in dietary habits, stress, and physical activity are all lifestyle factors that can affect hunger levels and cravings, especially during midlife. Excessive hunger is called polyphagia, and it can be due to common underlying medical conditions like diabetes and thyroid disorders.
Causes
Common Cravings Mistaken for Hunger
Symptoms of hyperglycaemia
According to its proponents, you use the pinch method by holding the thumb and index finger of one hand just above the wrist of the other hand and then exerting a little bit of pressure on the wrist. Doing this will supposedly cause the release of insulin and break down glucose.
Three common signs of diabetes are increased thirst and frequent urination, extreme tiredness, and blurry vision or slow-healing sores, often stemming from high blood sugar levels affecting the body. These symptoms, sometimes called the "Three Ps" (polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia), can develop slowly in Type 2 diabetes or quickly in Type 1.
For many people, the journey to type 2 diabetes begins with a lesser-known condition: insulin resistance. It's a silent disruptor that often goes unnoticed until blood sugar levels are dangerously high.
The most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes are: feeling very tired. peeing more than usual. feeling thirsty all the time.
Five common signs of prediabetes include increased thirst/urination, constant fatigue, blurry vision, dark skin patches (acanthosis nigricans), and slow-healing cuts or frequent infections, though prediabetes often has no noticeable symptoms, making early detection key. These signs often signal higher blood sugar levels, indicating your body isn't using insulin effectively.
An increase in hunger is a normal bodily response to situations like fasting or strenuous exercise. But intense, insatiable hunger like polyphagia is often a sign of a health condition that needs medical treatment, such as diabetes.
But the most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes are increased thirst, needing to go to the toilet more, feeling tired and losing weight. Type 2 diabetes can be easier to miss than type 1 diabetes because the symptoms may not be so obvious.
Excessive hunger, called hyperphagia or polyphagia, is when someone constantly feels hungry and isn't satisfied even after eating. It's a common sign of diabetes, caused by problems with insulin production and function.
Testing your blood sugar is an essential part of managing your diabetes. Test your blood sugar first thing in the morning to get a baseline reading for the day. This can help you adjust your diabetes management plan as needed.
If you have diabetes, you can develop nerve problems at any time. Sometimes, neuropathy can be the first sign of diabetes. Significant nerve problems (clinical neuropathy) can develop within the first 10 years after a diabetes diagnosis. The risk of developing neuropathy increases the longer you have diabetes.
5 tips to reduce or reverse diabetes
Ten key warning signs of diabetes include increased thirst and urination, extreme hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, slow-healing sores, unexplained weight loss, tingling/numbness in hands or feet, frequent infections, and sometimes dark skin patches (acanthosis nigricans), all indicating high blood sugar levels needing medical attention.
A normal HbA1c is generally below 5.7% for all adults, but levels naturally tend to rise slightly with age, with upper limits increasing for older adults (e.g., around 6.0-6.5% for those 60+) to avoid hypoglycemia, though specific targets depend on individual health, with 5.7-6.4% indicating prediabetes and 6.5% or higher suggesting diabetes.
Drink more water
“Water helps your kidneys filter out excess sugar through urine,” says Khan. “So, the more hydrated you are, the more urine production you'll have, which flushes out sugar in the body.” Always opt for water instead of sugary drinks, like soda and juice.
Background: Hedonic hunger refers to consumption of food just for pleasure and not to maintain energy homeostasis. In this condition, the subject eats also when not in a state of short-term energy depletion, and food is consumed uniquely because of its gustatory rewarding properties.
Constant hunger due to medical conditions