Struggling to lose weight but constantly thinking about food? You might be dealing with “food noise”. For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the constant preoccupation with feelings of hunger or internal chatter about food that can derail your diet goals and weight loss plans.
Although the term is relatively new, the concept has long intrigued researchers under labels like “food cue reactivity” and “hunger and food preoccupation,” where studies examined how brain activity increases when individuals are exposed to food images, said Dr. Jennah LaHood Siwak, a board-certified expert in family and obesity medicine, in a video on Instagram.
Food noise is a natural mechanism by which our brains make us crave foods based on what we see, smell, or even hear. For example, the sound of bacon sizzling may trigger strong cravings in people even if they are not actually hungry. Although this urge to eat was helpful in the past for survival when food was hard to find, today, with so much tasty and easily available food around us, this instinct can lead to overeating and obesity, Dr. Siwak explained.
“Food noise is constant or recurring unwanted thoughts about food/eating that interferes with daily life. It’s a rumination and obsessive preoccupation of food,” she said in the video.
In another recent video on TikTok, Dr. Siwak shared practical tips to combat food noise without relying on weight loss medications. “One thing we can do is we can modify our food cues, if possible, by changing our environment. So, this will involve figuring out what our triggers are,” she explained. For example, if TV commercials make you want to eat, avoiding them might help. If having certain foods at home leads to irresistible cravings, simply not keeping those foods in the house can be a helpful strategy.
Another key factor is focusing on nutrition and eating in a way that keeps you full, which means including plenty of protein and fiber in your diet. Dr. Siwak warned that ignoring physical hunger, depriving your body of certain food groups, or following an overly restrictive diet can actually make food noise louder in some people.
“Planning meals and snacks in advance can be helpful. It’s also important to get enough sleep and manage stress,” she added.
