Chicken
wings eating contest.
In general terms, eating
(formally, ingestion) is the process of consuming food
to provide for the nutritional needs of an animal, particularly
their energy requirements and to grow. All animals must
eat organisms in order to survive: carnivores eat other
animals, herbivores eat plants, and omnivores consume
a mixture of both; see feeding.
Physiologically, eating is generally triggered by hunger,
but there are numerous physical and psychological conditions
that can affect appetite and disrupt normal eating patterns.
These include depression, food allergies, ingestion of
certain chemicals, bulimia, anorexia nervosa, pituitary
gland misfunction and other endocrine problems, and numerous
other illnesses and eating disorders.
Food is any substance, usually composed of carbohydrates,
fats, proteins and water, that can be eaten or drunk by
an animal or human for nutrition or pleasure. Items considered
food may be sourced from plants, animals or other categories
such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol. Although
many human cultures sought food items through hunting
and gathering, today most cultures use farming, ranching,
and fishing, with hunting, foraging and other methods
of a local nature included but playing a minor role... |
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