hyperphagia

American  

[hahy-per-fey-jee-uh, -juh] / ˌhaɪ pərˈfeɪ dʒi ə, -dʒə /

noun

Pathology, Psychiatry.

1. bulimia.

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hyperphagia British  

/ ˌhaɪpəˈfeɪdʒɪə /

noun

1. psychol compulsive overeating over a prolonged period

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Usage

What is hyperphagia? Hyperphagia is an abnormal condition of intense hunger and excessive eating. Hyperphagia is often used as a synonym for bulimia, a psychiatric disorder in which a person feels the need to eat a large amount of food and then purge themselves of (such as by self-induced vomiting). However, a person suffering from hyperphagia may not feel the need to desperately lose weight, as is often the case with bulimia. While bulimia and similar eating disorders are classified as mental disorders, hyperphagia is not. Instead, hyperphagia is a pathology, that is, an abnormal condition. It can be a symptom of a mental disorder or can have a physical cause, such as a severe brain injury. Medical research has also linked hyperphagia to disorders such as Prader-Willi syndrome, which is inherited from a parent. Hyperphagia is used in medicine to refer to eating done out of insatiable hunger, as opposed to gluttony, in which a person voluntarily chooses to eat too much. Hyperphagia is also used in natural science to refer to excessive eating that is done by animals, such as bears, before hibernating. In animals, eating is motivated by natural instincts, so hyperphagia is a normal behavior in certain animals. Example: Hyperphagia isn’t the same as bulimia, but it can be associated with bulimia.

Other Word Forms

• hyperphagic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hyperphagia

First recorded in 1940–45; hyper- + -phagia

Example Sentences

This feeding frenzy, called hyperphagia, drives them farther from their usual range and into neighborhood dumpsters in search of easy meals.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

During this period, known as "hyperphagia," bears take risks to obtain more calories—like stealing wolves' food, says Aimee Tallian, a scientist with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research who studies wolf-bear interactions.

From National Geographic • Feb. 20, 2024

Bears are about to enter a stage called hyperphagia to prepare for winter.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 2022

In the fall, bears binge-eat before hibernation, a period called hyperphagia, and elk, caribou, moose and other hoofed animals compete for mates during the weeks-long rut.

From Washington Post • Jun. 22, 2022

Churchill warns that bears currently are going through hyperphagia, which is when they begin eating more to put on weight for hibernation.

From Washington Times • Sep. 12, 2017