So, now the question is what makes one feel hangry? Is this feeling associated deeply on a physiological level; let us understand it more.

Being hangry a real thing?

If you are wondering that it is a new age phenomenon then it is essential to look up the history and origin of this world it dates back to the year 1918 when that make sit quite an old word.

As per scientists it is a real thing that links feelings and physical reaction to hunger, it is confirmed that when an individual experiences hunger, they become irritable and angry at the same time. So, it is not something that is a trend or something that is just a fad, but rather a scientific fact.

Effects of being hangry

Research groups were formed that involved use of smartphone app by the individuals reporting their daily hunger levels with a detailed survey. As per Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the UK and the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Austria the following is confirmed:

• People display negative emotions as their hunger increases.
• Individuals who feel negative emotions have lower pleasure levels associated with hunger.
• Negative emotions related to hunger are caused by daily fluctuations in hunger and residual level in hunger.
• It is not that people always feel negative emotions due to hunger but hungry individuals may experience irritability and anger at a given time.
• A study was published in Plos One journal, involved 121 individuals out of which 64 from central Europe where individual completed 21 days survey was able to conclude negative emotions felt by people who were hangry.
• 56% experienced irritability, a 48% experienced anger, and 44% reported feeling pleasure.

These are the variances experienced by the individuals involved in the study; factors influencing their emotions depend on variables like daily fluctuations in hunger, hunger level over a period of three- week and situational cues as reported by each individual on the app.

Limitations to the study

Even with all the above-mentioned conclusions drawn as a result of a study conducted on a group of individuals, variance is highly dependent on factors that they followed their personal cues in reporting their emotions.

It is not a conclusive report with concrete facts, rather some assumptions at times even individuals following unconscious clues reported as hunger or feeling hangry. Due to these varied factors following are the limitations:

• It is essential to note that weighing specific situational contexts is not possible and absolutely difficult with the controlled environment and lab observation on each individual.
• Scientists are yet to explore the potential nuances with individual experience.
• Measuring irritability is dependent on numerous factors while the study conducted was limited to single-item measures.
• Researchers were only able to measure pleasure, anger, arousal and irritability while excluding other range of emotional states that became their limiting factors.
• Accounts of mental health issues were not involved in the study that may become trigger point for negative emotions amongst participants.

In conclusion to it all, without the use of various other factors contributing towards negative feeling and triggers of emotions the study is limiting in numerous ways.

Acknowledging the lack of proper factors the study gives inconclusive results that cannot be fully relied upon by the scientists. The methodology to measure and to control the trait require more than sampling method.