The low down on ‘food noise’

is it food noise or is it mental hunger?

Welcome back to Off the Scale!

Here, we ditch diet culture, question the latest nutrition fads, and, of course, throw away the scales.

Disclaimer: Today’s edition discusses weight loss drugs and disordered eating. If you are someone likely to be triggered, please proceed with caution and feel free to give this a miss.

---

A recent episode of the ‘Should I Delete That?’ Podcast got me pondering whether I am someone who experiences food noise.

The episode was an interview with Dr. Giles Yeo (researcher on genetics and body weight), giving a balanced approach on the weight loss drug Ozempic. In the episode Dr Yeo mentioned the concept of food noise.

This term has emerged recently, particularly in relation to individuals using semaglutide-based medications like Ozempic. The discussion around this concept is mainly based on anecdotal observations made by those taking these drugs, with only a few papers on the topic.

In the podcast Dr Yeo described food noise as frequent thoughts about food, such as planning meals in advance or regularly seeking out new dining experiences. Dr Yeo considered himself as someone who experiences food noise, and based on this description, I guess I do too? I had previously thought of this experience as just being a foodie, but let’s consider the concept in more depth.

Defining food noise

There isn’t an official scientific definition for "food noise", but it’s commonly used to describe persistent, intrusive thoughts about food- such as cravings, planning meals, or feeling preoccupied with eating.

Some researchers have suggested defining it as "heightened and/or persistent manifestations of food cue reactivity, often leading to food-related intrusive thoughts and maladaptive eating behaviors" .​

Food noise vs. mental hunger

For those of us working in eating disorders, the idea of constantly thinking about food isn’t new. We call it mental hunger. When your body hasn’t been consistently nourished (whether due to restriction, dieting, or simply not eating enough for your needs), your brain steps in and says, feed me!

Many of my clients lack physical hunger cues, but notice that food is on their mind a lot. Often to the extent that they cannot focus on other tasks or go to sleep.

One of the most well-known studies demonstrating mental hunger is the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Conducted in the 1940s - and ethically very questionable - this study involved healthy men who were put on a semi-starvation diet for six months. Their thoughts became completely dominated by food. They collected recipes, obsessed over meal planning, and even dreamt about eating.

This study highlights something we see all the time in eating disorder recovery: when the body is underfed, the mind fixates on food.

While both concepts of food noise and mental hunger involve thinking about food more than normal, mental hunger is a signal from the body indicating the need for nourishment, while food noise occurs in the absense of dietary restriction.

I think it is very important to distinguish between the two.

When does food noise become a problem?

Persistent food noise might be associated with disordered eating patterns.

Our brain’s reward system plays a huge role in food thoughts. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and motivation, influences how we experience food cravings and is suggested to be a factor in food noise.

ADHD is linked to differences in dopamine regulation, which can result in heightened food thoughts and impulsive eating behaviours.

People with binge eating disorder (BED) often experience a powerful dopamine-driven urge to eat, sometimes unrelated to hunger. That being said, I work with clients who have BED, and for the majority of them we see restriction as the most common driver in bingeing, not food noise alone.

Those who are prone to addiction are also more likely to make ‘dopaminergic’ food choices, seeking out foods that provide a strong reward response, much like they might seek other sources of dopamine stimulation.

The science behind food noise

Emerging research suggests that medications like semaglutide may reduce food noise by affecting brain areas involved in hunger and satiety. These drugs may stimulate the hypothalamus and alter the release of dopamine, making food less rewarding.

However, the effect is often temporary, and food noise may return upon discontinuation of the medication.​

Interestingly, there’s ongoing debate about whether semaglutide might also affect addiction pathways. Since it alters dopamine signalling and reduces food reward, some researchers are questioning whether it could be used to treat other dopamine-driven behaviours, such as alcohol use disorder or compulsive gambling. While this sounds promising in theory, it also raises ethical questions- if a drug dulls one’s response to food and other rewards, what does that mean for overall quality of life?

Some people on semaglutide-based drugs have reported feeling emotionally flat or experiencing depressive symptoms.

This isn’t the first time a weight loss drug has attempted to target the brain’s reward system. During my dietetic training, I learned about Rimonabant, a weight loss drug approved in the early 2000s that worked by blocking cannabinoid receptors involved in food reward. The idea was to reduce cravings and compulsive eating, but it quickly became apparent that this dampening effect extended beyond food. Many users experienced severe depression and anxiety. The drug was withdrawn from the market in 2008 due to its serious psychiatric side effects.

It’s a reminder that feeling a level of reward from food can be important for our mental wellbeing, and is not inherently bad.

We all have our vices in life, and if food is a source of comfort to you, that’s certainly not the worse coping skill out there.

My thoughts?

I’m not convinced that food noise itself is inherently a problem. On its own, thinking about and feeling rewarded after eating good food isn’t necessarily bad. What matters more, is why it’s happening and how it affects us.

For some people, food noise might actually be mental hunger, driven by restriction, or inadequate nutrition. For others, it might be tied to emotions, dopamine-driven food choices, or even habits formed over time. It can certainly influence behaviour, but that doesn’t mean it always needs to be ‘fixed.’

Rather than trying to eliminate food noise altogether via taking Ozempic ad infinitum, maybe the real goal is to learn to live with it in a way that doesn’t negatively impact our health or long term wellbeing.

Journal prompts

I always try to leave you with some journal prompts so you have something to take away. The prompts for you to reflect upon this week:

• When do I notice food thoughts arising most often? Are there patterns?

• How do I feel when I eat certain foods- both physically and emotionally?

• What messages about food and eating have I absorbed over time, and how do they influence my current relationship with food?

Thank you for reading, see you next week :)

---

Want to work on your body image?

My brilliant therapy collegue Sophie Killip and I are putting on a workshop on this topic.

Body & Food: Healing the Relationship with Body Image Skills

Date: 15/04/2025

Time: 6pm

Location: Video conferencing

Link to tickets

Remember that paid subscribers to Off the Scale are able to access the recordings to this workshop and our back catalogue of ones we have put on in the past.