Do obsessive thoughts of food make you feel like your brain is on the fritz? Well, it is “on the FRITs” – Food-Related Intrusive Thoughts! In other words, food noise.
The term “food noise” has made it into our lexicon with the rising popularity of GLP1 receptor agonists, like Ozempic, because some users noticed a decrease in FRITs. So, what is food noise? What causes it? And what can you do about it?
Symptoms of food noise
They vary, but here are some common symptoms of food noise:
- Frequently thinking about food.
- Persistent thoughts about eating.
- Intense cravings and urges to eat.
- Thinking about your next meal.
- Life seems to revolve around food.
- Eating when you’re not hungry.
- Eating until uncomfortably full.
- Feeling guilty.
If you’ve been following Am I Hungry? for any length of time, you’ve seen these symptoms many times! So, how is “food noise” different from the symptoms people have when they are struggling with their relationship with food? Food noise probably isn’t different, though the severity and persistence may be greater in some people, and more resistant to interventions like therapy or coaching.
We asked our readers how food noise affects them; you can read some of their comments here. We also received comments by email, so I’ll share some of them in this post.
What is food noise?
In an article in Psychology Today, Dr. Sarkis described it this way:
“Food noise refers to the mental chatter about food—persistent thoughts that can feel compulsive, distracting, or even distressing …it’s the voice in your head that hyperfocuses on food even when your body doesn’t need it.” [1]
In a review article published in Nutrients, D. Hayashi, et al. define food noise as:
“heightened and/or persistent manifestations of food cue reactivity, often leading to food-related intrusive thoughts and maladaptive eating behaviors.” [2]
That’s a mouthful! The article describes a conceptual model of Food Cue Reactivity that’s worth taking a look at if you’re into that sort of thing. But let me simplify it here.
Cues: We evolved to desire foods we see, smell, hear, or sense. This helped us survive during times of scarcity.
Availability: In modern industrial societies, highly palatable foods are widely available, so our environment tends to be full of food cues. Convenience and marketing further increase the awareness of the availability of delicious foods. [3]
Reactivity: People vary in their responsiveness to food cues. Some have heightened reactivity; in other words, they may experience “food noise.” Reactivity is influenced by hunger, emotional states, and although not often adequately addressed in the literature, restriction and deprivation.
Becky describes it this way:
“There is usually some kind of trigger, like a commercial, a bag of Cheetos laying on the counter… and then my mind goes to work convincing me I deserve it.”
Outcome: As a result, individuals may have increased food seeking and food intake, Pavlovian conditioning (paired association), operant conditioning (anticipation of a reward), weight change, disordered eating, and decreased quality of life.
Linda says food noise is maddending!
“I get a thought about something that isn’t the best choice for me, and I think “’am I hungry?’ or is it just food noise? It’s distracting and unsettling. Maddening even.“
What causes food noise?
In most articles about food noise, it is felt to be caused by factors they correlate with “obesity.” This is a common mistake in weight-centric literature: ignoring the effects of restriction, deprivation, and weight cycling on the physical, mental, and emotional health of chronic dieters.
For example, an article published by The Center for Nutritional Psychology states, “Patients struggling with food intake regulation often report obsessively thinking about food for prolonged periods and spending lots of time doing things related to food.” [3]
But you could easily substitute “struggling with food intake regulation’ with “on energy-deficient diets.” In other words: Patients on energy-deficient diets often report obsessively thinking about food for prolonged periods and spending lots of time doing things related to food. This was well documented in a hallmark study, called “The Biology of Human Starvation.” [4]
In an opinion piece published in the New York Times, Kate Manne said,
“‘Food noise’ is a rebrand of some of the most basic human drives: hunger, appetite, craving. When we are hungry, our bodies tell us to eat, almost literally, issuing cries and calls and pleas that constitute bodily imperatives. We silence or ignore that inner voice of need at the expense of accepting our animal nature — and with it, our humanness.” – Kate Manne [5]
Having said that, here are some factors that appear to contribute to the development of food noise.[1]
- Restrictive dieting
- Emotional eating
- Reward (dopamine) pathways
- Sensory seeking
- Comfort seeking (serotonin)
- Undereating
- Nutrient deficiencies
How can you stop the food noise?
Let’s explore four possible ways to address food noise, 1) Address underlying causes where possible. 2) Restrict foods you tend to crave. 3) GLP1-RA medications. 4) Mindful eating. (Perhaps you can guess which one I’m most likely to recommend!)
Address underlying causes where possible
Many factors likely contribute to food noise, so managing the underlying causes will help.
Blood sugar fluctuations: Eat consistently when you’re hungry.
Emotional eating triggers: Learn to recognize and address stress, boredom, anxiety, etc. more effectively.
Habit loops: Break mindless cycles of reactivity.
Dieting and restriction: Learning to eat what you love without restriction and guilt decreases food noise and loss of control eating.
Of course, this all sounds easier than it really is! The good news is that Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs addresses all of these; see Mindful Eating below.
Restrict foods you crave
Diets have been around for more than a hundred years. Restrictive dieting is closely associated with feelings of deprivation, cravings, bingeing, and guilt, resulting in yo-yo dieting and disordered eating. Decades of research has shown that diets don’t lead to lasting changes in weight or health for the majority of participants. [6]
Lorine writes,
Food noise is real! It’s frustrating… I try different things, drinking water, doing something else with my hands, eating something like a dill pickle, a hard-boiled egg, or veggies and peanut butter, but I still want the food I want. Sometimes I just go ahead and eat the food. Sometimes it’s hard to limit my portion. Food noise has nothing to do with actual hunger. – Lorine
As much effort as she was expending on distracting herself, eating “allowed” foods, and other diet strategies, Lorine continued to struggle with food noise.
Part of the explanation for the failure of diets to create lasting changes goes back to our “bodily imperative” as expressed by Kate Manne above. In fact, our body weight is defended by a powerful biological system that reacts to a negative energy balance by lowering metabolism and increasing hunger, food preoccupation, and hedonic responses to food. [7] [8]
In summary, restricting food is likely to increase, not decrease food noise. As Albert Einstein said, you can’t solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it!
GLP1-RA medications
The approval of GLP1-receptor agonists for weight loss led to the observation that these drugs decrease or stop food noise for many of users.
“…food noise is vicious. It is ever present; no amount of therapy, coaching, or medication could touch it. Until I started taking (GLP1 medication). The space in my head instantly was astonishing. I had room to be a better wife, mother, performer because I wasn’t constantly fighting internally. I accidentally missed a dose, and it all came back. – Sheila
So, as Sheila explained, GLP1s can be very effective for food noise. Unfortunately, the meds are expensive and have potential side-effects and risks, leading to high discontinuation rates.[9] When people stop the medication, food noise is likely to return. (We offered a webinar about GLP1 RAs and Mindful Eating recently; a thorough discussion is beyond the scope of this article.)
Most prescribers would agree: These drugs should not be regarded as standalone treatments; individuals will have suboptimal results when used without interventions to promote lifestyle changes, such as nutrition and psychological counseling, and support to increase physical activity.[10] (Mindful eating can help you with that! Read on.)
Food noise and mindful eating
People with food noise have heightened reactivity to food cues and availability. Reactivity is influenced by hunger, emotional states, and restriction and deprivation.
Mindfulness helps us shift from reactivity to responsiveness by learning how to:
- Pause between trigger and response.
- Develop awareness of inner experience and environmental cues.
- Make intentional decisions based on awareness and feedback (instead of judgment and guilt).
Erin wrote,
I absolutely suffer from food noise. I wonder am I really hungry, or is it menopause hormones, or is it a habit? Am I trying to stuff emotions (boredom or loneliness) or am I trying to fall asleep with a hit of carbs? It hits me in the afternoon and at night. I crave carbs and sweets and have difficulty with portion control.
If I don’t eat, I am cranky or obsessing over it. If I do eat, I am remorseful. It is a NO-WIN situation.
Please help! – Erin
Ok Erin, here’s how I would help.
In Am I Hungry? we use the Mindful Eating Cycle to make a complicated habit loop more clear. Let’s use Erin’s description of the problem and reorganize it this way:
Now, instead of an overwhelming habit that feels like a no-win situation, we can work with each of the decision points, using specific mindful eating strategies and skills. This breaks through the habit loop to create lasting change!
Food Freedom Workshop
Join me on June 21st for the Food Freedom Workshop to learn more about how mindful eating skills and experience live coaching to develop a peaceful, joyful, confident relationship with food!
References
[1] Quieting the Food Noise. Stephanie A. Sarkis Ph.D. Psychology Today. March 24, 2025.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/202503/quieting-the-food-no
[2] Hayashi, D., Edwards, C., Emond, J. A., Gilbert-Diamond, D., Butt, M., Rigby, A., & Masterson, T. D. (2023). What Is Food Noise? A Conceptual Model of Food Cue Reactivity. Nutrients, 15(22), 4809. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224809
[3] What is “Food Noise” and How Does it Influence the DMHR? The Center for Nutritional Psychology
[4] Keys, A. B. (1950). The Biology of Human Starvation. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
[5] What if ‘Food Noise’ Is Just … Hunger? Kate Manne. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/29/opinion/food-noise-hunger-diet.html
[6] Tylka, T., et al. (2014). The Weight-Inclusive versus Weight-Normative Approach to Health: Evaluating the Evidence for Prioritizing Well-Being over Weight Loss. Journal of Obesity, 2014.
[7] P. S. MacLean, A. Bergouignan, M. Cornier, and M. R. Jackman, “Biology’s response to dieting: the impetus for weight regain,” American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, vol. 301, no. 3, pp. R581–R600, 2011.
[8] P. Sumithran and J. Proietto, “The defence of body weight: a physiological basis: for weight regain after weight loss,” Clinical Science, vol. 124, no. 4, pp. 231–241, 2013.
[9] Rodriguez PJ, Zhang V, Gratzl S, et al. Discontinuation and Reinitiation of Dual-Labeled GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Among US Adults With Overweight or Obesity. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jan 2;8(1):e2457349. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.57349.
[10] Powell, W., et al. Medications and conditions associated with weight loss in patients prescribed semaglutide based on real-world data. Obesity 2023, 31, 2482–2492.