How to Quiet Food Noise Without Medication

"In 2024, one in eight people reported taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist (or GLP-1 for short). GLP-1s signal the hypothalamus to reduce hunger signals and delay gastric emptying, resulting in feeling fuller longer after a meal. Anecdotally, many people taking a GLP-1 notice less "food noise." But what is food noise? And are there other ways to reduce it without taking medications? Food noise refers to intrusive thoughts about food, leading to problematic eating patterns. An individual experiencing food noise often thinks frequently and obsessively about food."

"Anyone who has ever dieted will tell you they think about food all the time. In an opinion piece in the New York Times about food noise and hunger, guest writer Dr. Kate Manne argues that "'food noise' is a slick rebrand of some of the most basic human drives: hunger, appetite, craving." Manne goes on to explain, "When we are hungry, our bodies tell us to eat, almost literally, issuing cries and calls and pleas that constitute bodily imperatives.""

GLP-1 receptor agonists reduce hunger signals and slow gastric emptying, producing greater fullness and noticeably less intrusive thinking about food for many users. High costs and common side effects contribute to substantial discontinuation rates. Food noise describes persistent, obsessive thoughts about food that often follow dieting and calorie restriction. Historical evidence from the Minnesota Semistarvation Experiment shows that severe caloric restriction produces intense preoccupation with food during and after the restriction period. Practical strategies to quiet food noise include eating regularly in response to hunger, enjoying preferred foods without guilt, and shifting emphasis from weight to overall well-being.

Read at Psychology Today