Podcast
Why You’re Still Hungry After Eating
Listen
Open on PodbeanAbout this episode
Why do you crave dessert after dinner? Why are you hungry again an hour after eating? And why does weight sometimes seem to accelerate even when you're watching calories? In Episode 3 of this series on ultra-processed and hyper-palatable foods, Dr. Brendan McCarthy breaks down the biology behind cravings, hunger, and weight gain. This episode connects the dots between food engineering, blood sugar spikes, insulin, and the brain’s reward system—showing why this isn’t a willpower problem, but a biological response to the foods we’re eating. Dr. McCarthy, Chief Medical Officer at Protea Medical Center in Tempe, Arizona, explains how modern ultra-processed foods are designed to override normal satiety signals, destabilize blood sugar, and drive continued consumption. Over time, this can create hormonal changes that make weight gain easier and weight loss harder. In this episode you’ll learn: • Why ultra-processed foods trigger cravings and repeat eating • How glycemic spikes lead to hunger shortly after meals • The role of insulin as a “routing hormone” for calories • How food processing affects fat storage in the body • Why weight gain can accelerate over time • Why this is not a failure of willpower This series focuses on precision nutrition and endocrinology, helping you understand the real biological mechanisms behind metabolism, hunger, and weight regulation. If you’ve ever wondered why controlling food intake feels so difficult despite your best efforts, this episode will help you understand what your body is actually responding to. Citations: Episode 3 — Mechanism-Anchored Evidence Summary This episode explores how ultra-processed foods, liver metabolism, adipose tissue, hormones, and brain signaling interact to drive cravings, fat storage, and weight gain. Key mechanisms and supporting references include: Hepatic First-Pass Metabolism: Carbohydrates enter the liver via portal circulation, controlling post-meal fuel distribution (Samuel & Shulman, 2016). Fructose
This content is for education and is not medical advice. It does not replace an evaluation with a licensed provider, and no one should start, stop or change a medication on its basis.
Keep going
Get new articles from our physicians.
Subscribe for new articles and educational resources, or talk with a Protea physician about your own care.