View source for Eating

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:''For "eat" or "EAT" as an abbreviation or acronym, see [[EAT]].''
In general terms, '''eating''' (formally, '''ingestion''') is the process of consuming nutrition, i.e. [[food]], for the purpose of providing for the [[nutrition]]al needs of an [[animal]], particularly their [[food energy|energy]] requirements and to [[growth|grow]]. All animals must eat other [[organism]]s in order to survive: [[carnivore]]s eat other animals, [[herbivore]]s eat [[plant]]s, and [[omnivore]]s consume a mixture of both.

While the process of eating varies from species to species, in [[human]]s eating is performed by placing food in the [[mouth]], [[mastication|chewing]] and then [[swallowing]] it. Eaten food is then [[digestion|digested]].

[[Manners]] are an important aspect of social eating in almost all human societies.

==Eating practices==
 [[Image:Dining table for two.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The usual accessories for everyday eating in Western cultures: [[Table (furniture)|table]], [[chair]] and [[tableware]].]]
[[Image:20051129-MelbMeetup-Dining.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Eating is often made into a social occasion.]]
Many homes have a separate [[kitchen]] room or outside (in the tropics) kitchen area devoted to preparation of [[meal]]s and food, and many also have a [[dining room]] or another designated area for eating. [[Dishware]], [[silverware]], [[drinkware]] for eating and [[cookware]] and other implements for cooking come in an almost infinite array of forms and sizes. Most societies also have [[restaurant]]s and food vendors, so that people may eat when away from home, lack the time to prepare food, or wish to use eating as a social occasion. Occasionally, such as at [[potluck]]s and [[food festival]]s, eating is in fact the primary purpose of the social gathering.

Most individuals have fairly regular meals, formally known as daily patterns of eating, and commonly most eating occurs during two to three meals per day, with [[snack]]s consisting of smaller amounts of food being consumed in between. The issue of [[healthy diet|healthy eating]] has long been an important concern to individuals and cultures. Among other practices, [[fasting]], [[dieting]], and [[vegetarianism]] are all techniques employed by individuals and encouraged by societies to increase longevity and health. Some religions promote vegetarianism, considering it wrong to consume animals. Leading nutritionists believe that instead of indulging oneself in three large meals each day, it is much healthier and easier on the metabolism to eat five smaller meals each day (e.g. better digestion, easier  on the lower intestine to deposit wastes; whereas larger meals are tougher on the digestive tract and may call for the use of [[laxatives]])(No references cited. Vague anecdotal terms, please rewrite more concisely). However, psychiatrists with Yale Medical School have found that people who suffer from Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and consume three meals per day weigh less than those who have more frequent meals.  Eating can also be a way of making money (see [[competitive eating]]).  Pie and sometimes cheese eating contests are one of these competitions. Sometimes people eat on [[picnics]] with family or friends.

It is an [[urban legend]] that eating fast will make you fat. Studies has disproved the theory that the body cannot keep up with the pace of the food going into the digestive tract, and thus will store the food that it cannot process as fats or energy stores. This is unscientific, as all food that enters via the mouth must pass through the entire digestive system and be broken down into simpler, usable forms that the body can make use of.

== Disorders == 
:''Main article: [[Eating disorder]]''

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 [[clinical depression|depression]], food [[allergy|allergies]], ingestion of certain chemicals, [[bulimia]], [[anorexia nervosa]], [[pituitary gland]] misfunction and other [[endocrine]] problems, and numerous other [[illness]]es and [[eating disorder]]s.

A chronic lack of [[nutrition|nutritious]] food can cause various illnesses, and will eventually lead to [[starvation]]. When this happens in a locality on a massive scale it is considered a [[famine]].

If eating and [[drinking]] is not possible, as is often the case when recovering from [[surgery]], alternatives are [[Route of administration#enteral|enteral]] nutrition and [[parenteral nutrition]].

==References==
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== See also ==
* [[Aphagia]]
* [[Competitive eating]]
* [[Dietary supplement]]s
** [[Amino acid]]s
** [[Dietary mineral|Minerals]]
** [[Nootropic]]s
** [[Nutraceutical]]s
** [[Vitamin]]s
* [[Dieting]]
* [[List of diets|Diets (list)]]
* [[Digestive System]]
* [[Exercise]]
* [[Food]]
** [[Portal:Food|Food (portal)]]
** [[Functional food]]
* [[Health]]
** [[Portal:Health|Health (portal)]]
** [[Healthy diet]]
*** [[Healthy eating pyramid]]
* [[Life extension]]
** [[List of life extension related topics|Life extension (topic list)]]
* [[Nutrition]]

[[Category:Food and drink]]

[[es:Alimentación]]
[[fr:alimentation]]
[[it:Alimentazione (nutrizione)]]
[[ko:먹기]]
[[simple:Edible]]
[[fi:Syöminen]]
[[sv:Ätande]]
[[yi:עסן]]
[[zh:進食]]
[[zh-yue:食嘢]]
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