When we have no appetite we run to the nearest hospital or private dispensary seeking medical attention. The doctor would give us a mixture or some pills. After a few days our appetite comes back and we start eating food which is necessary for survival. However, if we have no appetite, we do not feel like eating any kind of food. Anyway, what is appetite?
Appetite is basically the desire for food, influenced by physical activity, metabolic, dietary, psychological and behavioural factors. According to doctors, appetite can be increased or decreased pharmacologically. They say appetite is also influenced by health status. This is the literal meaning of appetite and even our grandmothers used to tell us, “Don’t eat now, you’ll ruin your appetite.”
In big hotels, a small dish of food is placed on the dining table at the beginning of a meal. It is meant to increase our appetite so that we could eat and pay more! Waiters are always ready to serve us food that is appetising or smell good. Although we think appetite comes before eating, Francois Rabelais held a different view. He said “L’appetit vient en mangeant” meaning “Appetite comes with eating.” Sir John Suckling did not agree with Rabelais and said, “It’s not the meat, but it’s the appetite that makes eating a delight.”
Secondary meaning
The word ‘appetite’ has a secondary meaning that has nothing to do with food or eating. It is a strong want or need. Some people have an appetite for rock climbing or some such adventure.
A girl who worked with me had an appetite for rock music. However, if a man or a woman has an insatiable sexual appetite, they might find themselves in trouble. Idiomatically, you can whet someone’s appetite for something. For instance, we can make someone eager to have more of something good for his physical or psychological health. Reading William Shakespeare’s Sonnets and P.B. Shelley’s poems could whet your appetite for poetry at an early age.
Broadly speaking, appetite is one of the major pleasures in life and it is our duty to preserve it. Those with an appetite treat life as an exciting adventure. They are not pessimists who take everything lying down. They have ambitions, desires and longings and they want to bite into the world and taste its multitudinous flavours and juices.
As has been seen, appetite is not just the lust for food, but any condition of unsatisfied or unfulfilled desires. It is something that keeps on burning in your blood that proves you haven’t yet used up your life. Oscar Wilde said he felt sorry for those who never got their heart’s desire – but sorrier still for those who did.
Gazing at sweets
The children born during World War II experienced that food was in short supply. They never had birthday cakes, ice cream or other savoury food items even on festival days. As a result, they used to gaze at sweets displayed in certain shops. When they received even a toffee they found it extremely delicious. However, the toffee dissolved in a few minutes heightening their appetite once again. It is a truism that if you have everything in life, you have no appetite to enjoy them.
Unknown to many of us our keenest pleasures of appetite remain in the wanting, not in the satisfaction. It is so even when you wish to have an expensive wristwatch, i-phone or to be with someone you love. On such occasions our object of desire is always at its flawlessly perfect condition.
Those who know this secret deliberately fast for a few hours or keep away from such objects in order to preserve their appetite. After a period of fasting you will truly enjoy your meals. Similarly, if you have been dreaming of owning an expensive wristwatch for a long time, you will be excited when you receive it as a gift.
Most people love to have three square meals a day. Some of them overeat most of the time. While they live to eat, others eat to live. Those who eat to live know how to preserve their appetite. They consume food sparingly and selectively. Sometimes, they skip lunch or dinner as a form of fasting. Most religions promote the idea of fasting because it is good for everybody.
Preserving intensity
We should once in a while give up some of our pleasures including rich food, entertainment and even our loved ones in order to preserve their intensity. Part of the weariness of modern life is that we are always fed and entertained. Once we are separated from rich food and loved ones for a short time, we learn to value them more.
Too much of anything – food, music or love – creates a kind of impotence of living. Human life is too precious to waste away. It is wise to consider appetite as one of our guardian angels.
Loss of appetite can be a kind of death. Springs are everywhere, but all you need is the original thirst!