appetite n : a feeling of craving something; "an appetite for life"; "the object of life is to satisfy as many appetencies as possible"- Granville Hicks [syn: appetency, appetence]

Appetite \Ap"pe*tite\, n. [OE. appetit, F. app['e]tit, fr. L. appetitus, fr. appetere to strive after, long for; ad + petere to seek. See Petition, and cf. Appetence.]
1. The desire for some personal gratification, either of the body or of the mind. The object of appetite it whatsoever sensible good may be wished for; the object of will is that good which reason does lead us to seek. --Hooker.
2. Desire for, or relish of, food or drink; hunger. Men must have appetite before they will eat. --Buckle.
3. Any strong desire; an eagerness or longing. It God had given to eagles an appetite to swim. --Jer. Taylor. To gratify the vulgar appetite for the marvelous. --Macaulay.
4. Tendency; appetency. [Obs.] In all bodies there as an appetite of union. --Bacon.
5. The thing desired. [Obs.] Power being the natural appetite of princes. --Swift. Note: In old authors, appetite is followed by to or of, but regularly it should be followed by for before the object; as, an appetite for pleasure. Syn: Craving; longing; desire; appetency; passion.

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The appetite is the desire to eat food, felt as hunger. Appetite exists in all higher life-forms, and serves to regulate adequate energy intake to maintain metabolic needs. It is regulated by a close interplay between the digestive tract, adipose tissue and the brain. Decreased desire to eat is termed anorexia, while polyphagia (or "hyperphagia") is increased eating. Dysregulation of appetite contributes to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, cachexia, overeating, and binge eating disorder.

The regulation of appetite (the appestat) has been the subject of much research in the last decade. Breakthroughs included the discovery, in 1994, of leptin, a hormone that appeared to provide negative feedback. Later studies showed that appetite regulation is an immensely complex process involving the gastrointestinal tract, many hormones, and both the central and autonomic nervous systems.

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