Dr. Jason Fung Explains Why You Are Always Hungry

Well Beyond 40

JJ Virgin

Nutrition, Fitness, Health & Fitness

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2026

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Are you tired of being told that your weight gain is simply a result of a lack of willpower? In this episode, I’m thrilled to welcome back my friend and world-renowned kidney specialist, Dr. Jason Fung, to dive deep into the real science of why we feel hungry. We break down why the traditional "eat less, move more" advice is a total lie and how your hormones—not your willpower—are the true drivers of weight gain. You'll walk away with a fresh perspective on how to reclaim control over your appetite and age more powerfully than ever before. What you’ll learn: (05:21) Dr. Fung reveals the biggest lie we’ve been told about why we feel hungry. (06:00) Learn about the three distinct types of hunger and how they drive your eating behaviors. (09:57) Discover why the "calories in, calories out" model is a spectacular failure for long-term health. (12:38) Understand why perimenopause is one of the highest risk periods for weight gain due to hormonal shifts. (16:48) Explore how ultra-processed foods are designed to biologically manipulate your brain's reward centers. (21:44) See how your social environment and the people around you significantly impact your risk of obesity. (31:16) Find out how regular fasting can act as a powerful tool to reset your hunger signals and metabolic flexibility. (35:25) Get practical advice on redesigning your physical environment to avoid hedonic and conditioned hunger traps Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/thehungercode Visit timeline.com/jjvirgin to get 20% off your order of Mitopure. For an exclusive offer, go to https://bioptimizers.com/jjvirgin and use promo code JJVIRGIN during checkout to save 15%. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This big lie that we get sold is that you just have to eat fewer calories.
0:04.7	If you can't, it's your fault.
0:06.7	You didn't have well power or you didn't have discipline.
0:09.7	And it's not true.
0:12.3	You don't get to choose if you're hungry.
0:14.4	You can choose what to eat.
0:15.7	You can't choose to be hungry or not hungry, right?
0:18.2	Perimenopause period is actually one of the highest risk periods of weight gain for women.
0:22.6	It's so clear that it's a hormonal issue.
0:24.6	And as you talk to them, you realize they're doing exactly the same things that they've always done,
0:29.6	they're eating the same things they always did.
0:31.6	Obviously, it's hormones.
0:33.6	This might be too extreme, but do you think we're being biologically manipulated here?
0:38.2	With ultra-processed foods, absolutely. This individual-sized bottle has no more calories than half a grapefruit.
0:44.3	Right after you eat those ketoes and have your, you know, frappikino, 10 minutes later,
0:49.7	you're still ravenously hungry. The body's response to those same two calorie portions was
0:55.0	completely and utterly different. Even when you're doing all the right things,
0:59.8	your strength training, staying after, prioritizing protein, keeping the muscle you built over a
1:04.9	lifetime gets harder with age. Now our parents were told to accept that it's just getting older.
1:12.2	I don't buy that.
1:18.1	And that's why I use timeline powered by Midepure. Here's the real story. Muscle isn't just about strength or looking good. Muscle runs your metabolism, protects your balance, preserves your
1:23.0	independence, and determines how powerfully you age.
	...

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