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Getting ‘hangry’ is an actual phenomenon as Brits informed precise variety of instances to eat

The study involved observing participants five times a day for three weeks on their levels of hunger, irritability, anger, pleasure and arousal, and getting ‘hangry’ is real

Mother holding her displeased crying baby boy son, while sitting
Getting hangry can make us feel more gloomy(Image: Getty Images)

Losing our rag when hunger strikes is a real phenomenon, belly boffs have confirmed. Getting hangry – a blend of hungry and angry – makes us feel more gloomy about our surroundings, according to research.

Professor Viren Swami, of Anglia Ruskin University, led a study into how our mood is impacted when we are waiting for grub. It involved observing participants five times a day for three weeks on their levels of hunger, irritability, anger, pleasure and arousal.

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The boff told the BBC’s What’s Up Docs? podcast: “What we found was that daily levels of hunger were associated with higher levels of anger and irritability and lower levels of pleasure. This was also true when we looked at mean levels or average levels of hunger over the whole three week period.”

Man opening fridge
The study found anger is linked to hunger(Image: Getty Images)

Some folk don’t even realise they are being tetchy as soon as their tummy begins to rumble.

The professor said: “When we’re hungry and maybe demonstrating symptoms of anger, a lot of the time we don’t take in that information because it’s so close to ourselves.

“We don’t see the impact of that anger on other people, or even in terms of how we’re relating to the world, until someone comes along and says, ‘you are angry’.”

man sitting on a table in front of an empty plate. knife and fork in his hands.he is screaming. he is hungry.
Sometimes we only notice we’re angry when our stomachs rumble(Image: Getty Images)

The academic has even changed his own eating patterns since his research to avoid getting crabby when peckish.

He said: “I eat five times a day rather than three.

“That made a big difference to not feeling hungry during those breaks when we’re not eating.”

A full-blown hanger attack is far more likely if there are other stresses involved, the scientist said.

A man is trying to eat a classical spaghetti plate with tomato. He is hungry and is eating the pasta with bad manners .
The academic even changed his own food routine(Image: Getty Images)

He added: “If the stimuli in your environment are pleasant, and if they’re not triggering a negative reaction in you, then simply being hungry is not always going to lead to aggression or irritability.”

The word ‘hangry’ was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018.

Eight in 10 Brits claim they suffer from rage when ravenous, according to a previous British Lion eggs study.

Stock photo showing close-up view of cheeseburger served in sesame seed bread bun with beef patty, melted cheese, red onion ring, beef tomato slice and lettuce being eaten by attractive, redheaded woman.
Lots of Brits say they get angry when they’re hungry(Image: Getty Images)

The Daily Star previously reported that a UK study found that fatigue leads to anger and irritability in 90% of adults, with Brighton & Hove residents being the most affected.

A survey of 2,000 adults has revealed that signs of fatigue include slow reaction speed, confusion with words, and wearing clothes inside out. The study also found that when people are tired, they feel angry 22% of the time.

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