(1) The word hunger describes the feeling of discomfort that is the body’s signal that it is in need of more food. Because of prolonged, involuntary lack of food, hunger results in discomfort, illness, weakness, or pain that goes beyond the usual uneasy sensation." Thus hunger is an individual-level physiological condition that may result from food insecurity. (2) The World Food Programme of the United Nations defines hunger as not having enough to eat to meet energy requirements. Hunger can lead to malnutrition, but absence of hunger does not imply absence of malnutrition (See related definitions at the WFP website.)