You Can Quiet Food Noise Without Weight Loss Meds—Here’s How

Have you ever found yourself planning out lunch while in the middle of eating your morning bowl of cereal? Or fantasizing about a slice of cheesecake as your boss drones on during an afternoon Zoom meeting? Or scrolling through UberEats while mindlessly watching TV, when you’re not even really hungry? If you’ve nodded “yes” to any of these statements, you might be experiencing food noise.

What exactly is food noise?

Food noise is not an actual medical term but a colloquial one often used to describe intrusive thoughts related to food, eating, diet, hunger, and/or calories.“Food noise refers to persistent thoughts of food or preoccupation with food that interferes with somebody’s life,” says Rekha Kumar, MD, an endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.

While not an entirely new concept, food noise and the conversation around it have reached a fever pitch as of late, largely due to the rise of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) antagonists, such as weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes medication Ozempic, which are said to diminish food noise in a major way.

But are GLP-1s the only way to silence food noise? Or can the same effects be achieved, sans medication? WH talked with the experts to find out.

Meet the experts: Rekha Kumar, MD, is an endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. Jennifer VanBeck, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in eating disorders based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Why Food Noise Happens In The First Place

On a macro level, food noise is likely a byproduct of our evolution as a species, Dr. Kumar says. “It is an adaptation of survival for humans to think about food and to plan their next meal,” she explains. “Our biology has not changed from thousands of years ago, when food was once scarce.”

Today, food insecurity may not be an issue for everyone, but that impulse remains. At a low volume, that food noise is important. It reminds us that we need to eat to survive. But at a high volume, coupled with easy access to processed (and often nutritionally lacking) food, it can leave us unsatisfied and craving more.

On a micro level, there are many factors that can influence food noise. Genetics, for one, may play a role, says Dr. Kumar. Alternately, the food habits and attitudes instilled in us as children may also have an impact, says Jennifer VanBeck, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist: “Did you grow up in a house where there were models of healthy eating? Did you grow up in a house where there was money to buy fruits and vegetables? Once you become an adult, if you’re not giving your body the nutrition it needs, you’re much more likely to have cravings and food noise.”

Both experts say there is also a strong link between eating disorders and food noise, as restrictive eating can be a driver for food noise. Other factors could include the time of day, lack of sleep, stress, and physical activity, according to the journal Nutrients.

Where GLP-1s Enter The Conversation

Research is ongoing into the various mechanisms by which GLP-1s work to quiet food noise, but here’s what experts do know.

In addition to stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin—thereby lowering blood sugar levels—semaglutides, like Ozempic and Wegovy, cause the stomach to empty more slowly, leading to feeling full for longer and reducing appetite, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The second piece, which scientists are still in the process of investigating, is how these drugs affect thought processes. It seems that these drugs weaken the brain’s association between food and pleasure, although the reasons are not fully understood just yet.

“The GLP-1 target in the brain is the appetite-regulating center,” Dr. Kumar says. “If you’re hitting that center, then the next step is that you just don’t get those signals that you want or need to eat. For some people, it’s so extreme that they need to be reminded to eat while taking those medicines.”

So far, animal studies have demonstrated this shift in “reward and food preference.” And the ramifications may go beyond food: Researchers are also working to verify anecdotal evidence that GLP-1s may help with addiction to substances like drugs and alcohol. But, again, more human studies are needed to validate earlier findings in animals.

So, can you quiet food noise without a medication? Experts say yes.

Both experts that WH spoke with agree that it’s possible to quiet food noise naturally, without the assistance of medication. Know that it probably won’t happen overnight, or not without putting a little effort into changing your existing habits and thought patterns. Here are their recommendations to get you started.

1. Start your day with protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

Satiety is often the first, and easiest step, to quiet food noise, VanBeck says. Yet, many of us start our day with sugary or carb-heavy breakfasts that don’t fill us up. (In fact, when it comes to protein specifically, women between the ages of 20 and 49 were found to eat just 19 percent of their daily intake at breakfast, according to a small survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture Research Service.)

“Load up on protein to increase fullness and make sure your diet isn’t too low in fat,” Dr. Kumar says. “I’m convinced that women in the 90s probably had a lot of food noise because of the low-fat craze.”

2. Track your triggers.

A common practice VanBeck has her clients follow is to write down, whether in a journal or the Notes app in their phone, when they experience food noise and what was going on right before it.

“Do you have a stressor? Did you have any uncomfortable feelings? Was there more stress than usual? Even if people are saying they have food noise all the time, once they start to track it, they will find that certain things trigger it—that’s a big thing in therapy, finding out your triggers.” Once you know your triggers, you can either try to avoid them (if possible) or find other ways to manage the thoughts, feelings, and actions that arise from them.

3. Practice mindful eating.

So many of us spend meal times endlessly scrolling on our phones or shoveling a quick salad at our desk during our lunch break—rather than taking the time to eat in a manner that respects and nourishes our body, which can cause food noise to creep up sooner rather than later.

To combat that, Dr. Kumar recommends mindful eating practices. “Pay attention to the experience of eating and be present with your body,” she says. Mindful eating habits can include eating slowly, choosing nutrient-dense foods (again, satiety!), putting your fork down between bites, turning the TV off or putting your phone away, and asking yourself questions like, “Am I full?” and “Am I eating because I’m angry or sad?”

4. Give in to the food noise—with limits.

If the food noise is becoming too loud—the desire for that cheesecake so intense—VanBeck suggests letting yourself eat that craveable morsel, but with a caveat. “You have to sit there at a table, no phone, no newspaper, no magazine, not even eating with people,” she says. “Sit there and just eat the food.”

Invariably, VanBeck says, most people will get bored. “Also, you’ve experienced the taste of the food enough, so it’s validating—you’ve gotten the reward.” Practicing this over and over again can help you gain control over the food noise.

5. Move your body.

Like so many issues in life, taking a short walk or spin on your bike, can provide some relief when it comes to food noise. That’s because, says Dr. Kumar, exercise “releases natural endorphins, hormones that improve mood and reduce hunger.”

And you don’t have to do endless HIIT workouts or join a CrossFit gym to reap these benefits. It truly can be as simple as moving your body for five or 10 minutes, says VanBeck. “Even if it’s just taking a walk around the block or parking your car a little bit farther, it’s making you feel good because you’re working off energy.”