What is 'Food Noise'? How GLP-1 Drugs Help Quiet Obsessive Thoughts About Food

---

If you have done any research online about weight loss lately, you may have heard the term "food noise" being used. Food noise, or food chatter, refers to the sometimes obsessive and repetitive thoughts about, and behaviors surrounding, food leading to unhealthy eating behaviors. Though there isn't a deep breadth of research on this term, or the symptoms it refers to, there is growing anecdotal evidence that the use of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide can help fight it.

Many people suffering from obesity, or a high body mass index, struggle with food noise more so than other people. This makes it very difficult to lose weight, as constant thoughts about food can lead to more food intake and hunger cues. Weight loss and hormone experts like obesity medicine specialist Marcio Griebeler, MD of the Cleveland Clinic have stated that food noise appears to be significantly reduced by medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide. How this is thought to work is that these medications essentially block or reduce the communication between the digestive tract and the brain, thus interfering with "food noise" signals that trigger hunger, cravings, or intrusive thoughts about food.

What are the Symptoms of Food Noise?

Food noise, or food chatter, symptoms can include:

• Frequent thoughts about food
• Frequent food cravings
• Frequent thoughts of and feelings of being hungry
• Focusing on food topics throughout the day
• Increased appetite most of the time
• Frequent thoughts about what to eat next
• Frequent thoughts about calories, weight, and other concerns surrounding eating

How Does Food Noise Affect Your Eating Habits?

Imagine a person who is always thinking about music versus one who thinks about music very little. It makes sense that the one who has more thoughts about music would likely play music more often. The same goes for food noise. When a person is frequently thinking about food, they are more likely to have food cravings and be thinking about their next meal.

Weight management is very difficult when food noise interferes with a person's efforts to reduce thoughts about food in their daily life. People with more food noise are more likely to feel hungrier and ignore fullness cues than those with less food noise. Experts who treat obesity are beginning to target appetite and food noise using certain medications (like GLP-1 agonists), in addition to diet and exercise.

Ways to Reduce Food Noise and Improve Eating Habits

There are many ways you can reduce food noise. Working with a weight loss coach or nutritionist on strategies to get past the intrusive thoughts about food can be very helpful for some people. Lifestyle habits can also be modified to reduce a person's access to and this can reduce food noise. For example, avoiding walking past the kitchen or other places that remind a person of food between meals can be helpful.

Making sure you get enough high-quality sleep, exercise, and fresh air to reduce food noise as people tend to have less food noise while doing these activities and the effects can be long-lasting.

Injectable medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide are a good option to lower food noise as well. Besides reducing hunger, these medications are thought to quiet food noise. People taking these medications have stated that they think about food less but also feel satisfied with less food. These medications can be extremely helpful in people struggling with weight management who haven't had long-term luck with other DIY weight loss methods or programs.

Does Food Noise only Affect People who are Overweight or Obese?

In fact, no, most people experience some amount of food noise at some points in their lives. It is the amount of food noise and how much the food noise affects a person's life that makes it an issue. Food noise is, however, more of an issue in people with obesity. A study even showed that people with obesity have a larger reaction to seeing pictures of food on brain scans than those without obesity. This suggests that some people might have more intense food noise because their brains are wired that way.

How do you Stop Food Noise?

It is unlikely that food noise can be stopped altogether or permanently. There are, however, strategies and medications that are thought to reduce the intensity and frequency of intrusive food noise thoughts.

As mentioned above, weight loss coaching with an experienced professional can be helpful as can keeping a person's exposure to food at a minimum. Keeping food out of sight can keep it out of mind for some people.

Other strategies to decrease food noise include paying attention to:

• Sleep: Getting enough sleep and making sure that issues like sleep apnea are treated so that sleep quality can be better can reduce food noise. This means not just sleeping a good amount, but making sure the sleep is deep and without frequent interruptions.
• Diet: A weight loss center or registered dietitian can help to create eating plans that include adequate protein and fiber which can help people feel satisfied for longer. They can also help to optimize your other nutrients to ensure you're getting a balanced diet and that you don't have any deficiencies that could be causing more food noise.
• Stress and Mental Health: People suffering from elevated stress levels or mental health issues like depression or grief can have increased food noise and emotional eating. Creating a well-thought-out strategy on how to cope with stress and bad feelings without resorting to food. This could be something like going for a short walk with the dog or calling a supportive friend when feelings get tough. Seek out activities that reduce stress but don't involve food like yoga, art, or reading.
• Food Shopping: One of the most difficult times to stop food noise from sabotaging your health goals is while shopping for food, particularly when shopping on an empty stomach. To combat this, try to only shop after eating a satisfying meal, or have a friend or professional shopper do the grocery shopping using only a specific list.
• Activities: Pay attention to the activities that tend to increase food noise and avoid them. For many people, this might include things like watching television or staying up later at night. Choosing activities that don't affect hunger and doing things like brushing teeth and getting to bed earlier to avoid late-night snacking are some ways this can be done.

Practice Awareness and Mindful Eating

Practicing eating awareness and mindful eating involves paying closer attention to the thoughts, feelings, and sensations while eating. This practice can help people develop a much healthier relationship with food, better enjoy your food, and contribute to more conscious choices when it comes to food.

Here are some tips on how to practice awareness and mindful eating:

• Create a Mindful Environment: When it comes time to eat, be sure to choose a quiet and comfortable place to eat without any distractions like television, phones, or computers. Intentionally using nice dishes and utensils rather than eating straight from a container, for example, can make eating feel more special and significant rather than just a quick process by which to consume food.
• Gratitude and Intention: Before preparing a meal or sitting down to one, taking a moment to express gratitude for food can set a positive tone for the meal.
• Engage Your Senses and Slow Down: Look closely at the food and appreciate its colors, aromas and flavors. Chewing food thoroughly and taking time to set utensils down between bites can also slow down eating and help you feel full sooner.
• Mindful Portion Control: Start eating with a smaller portion than initially intended. If second portions are craved, it helps to first wait 5 minutes and drink a glass of water before jumping up for more. Following a customized menu plan can help you know how much is enough and stick to a plan for food at every meal.
• Intuitive Eating: Intuitive eating refers to paying closer attention to the body’s cues and signals that it is full.

Remember, developing the skills for mindfulness in eating is not a quick or easy process. Consistent practice of these skills will lead to a deeper connection between the mind and body when it comes to a person's relationship with food.

Summary on Managing Food Noise and Its Relation to Weight Loss

Food noise is the intrusive food chatter in a person's mind that can lead to overeating and obesity. There are several strategies to reduce food noise which often lead to weight loss. These include mindfulness skills, lifestyle changes like reducing stress and getting more sleep as well as compounded GLP1 weight loss medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide. Reducing food noise using these strategies allows people to focus on health rather than food.

Weight management is an extremely complex and multifactorial process that is still not fully understood by the scientific and medical communities. With the guidance of a professional weight loss center or a licensed healthcare provider, certain medication and lifestyle changes can lead to long-term success in managing food noise and achieving health goals.

If food noise is contributing to your unhealthy relationship with food and making weight loss challenging, the weight loss specialist at Metabolic Research Center can help. For over 35 years, MRC has been helping individuals silence food noise and reach their weight loss goals. Click here to find a center near you and schedule your free consultation to discuss treatment options you may qualify for.

*Prescribing medications for Metabolic Research Center patients is solely based on the professional opinion of clinicians and not Metabolic Research Center. Not all patients will qualify for medication. Metabolic Research Center offers compounded medications. Compounds are not FDA-approved, but clinicians might prescribe based on their professional clinical opinion. All medications can come with significant risks or side effects, and Metabolic Research Center patients should discuss all risks and potential side effects with their clinician when prescribed.  Individual results can vary based on starting body weight, diet, and exercise plan. Medication prescriptions require approval from your clinician based on your health history.