Why do we actually get hungry—and is that loud stomach growl just our belly yelling at us for snacks? In this episode of Explain It Like I’m 5, Alex breaks down the science of hunger in simple, funny, and totally relatable terms. We explore what hunger really is, how your brain, stomach, and hormones team up to tell you it’s time to eat, and why you sometimes crave chocolate, fries, or cookies instead of something healthy.

You’ll learn about the roles of ghrelin (the hunger hormone), leptin (the fullness hormone), insulin, and neuropeptide Y, and how your hypothalamus acts like mission control for your appetite. We explain the difference between hunger vs. appetite, why your stomach makes that rumbling noise called borborygmus, and what’s really going on when you feel “hangry” and snap at people before lunch.

We also dive into evolution, cravings, and comfort food, how culture and religion shape when and how we eat, what happens if we ignore hunger for too long, and a bunch of weird and fun facts—like why bakeries smell so irresistible and how astronauts still get hungry in space. By the end, you’ll see hunger not just as an annoying feeling, but as an incredible body communication system keeping you alive (and yes, still wanting fries).