What is ‘Food Noise’?

Dr Bavna Kallan

After more than two decades working in diabetes and weight management within the NHS, I can say with confidence that one of the most distressing,  and least understood  aspects of weight struggle is not hunger alone. It is food noise.

Patients describe it as:

• A constant mental preoccupation with food

• Repetitive thoughts about eating

• Persistent cravings, even when physically full

• An exhausting internal dialogue of “should I / shouldn’t I?”

This experience is not a failure of discipline or motivation.

It is a biological signal — and recognising that is often the turning point in sustainable weight management.

What Is Food Noise?

Food noise refers to persistent, intrusive thoughts about food that continue regardless of physical hunger. It can dominate attention, decision-making and emotional wellbeing.

From a medical perspective, food noise reflects disruption in the body’s appetite-regulation systems, rather than poor willpower.

Large-scale metabolic research now shows that appetite, satiety and reward are regulated by complex neurohormonal pathways — many of which adapt in response to weight loss, stress, sleep deprivation and insulin resistance.

When these systems are dysregulated, the brain prioritises food seeking as a protective response.

This is not a psychological weakness, it’s just physiology.

The Medical Drivers of Food Noise

Based on both clinical experience and current evidence, food noise is commonly driven by a combination of:

1. Appetite Hormone Dysregulation

Hormones such as ghrelin (hunger) and leptin (satiety) play a central role in appetite regulation. In people with obesity or repeated dieting history, these signals often become impaired, leading to persistent hunger cues and reduced satiety.

2. Insulin Resistance and Blood Glucose Variability

Fluctuating blood sugar levels — common in insulin resistance and early type 2 diabetes — amplify hunger signals and food-seeking behaviour. Stabilising glucose levels is essential for calming appetite.

3. Metabolic Adaptation After Dieting

Research consistently shows that repeated calorie restriction and weight cycling trigger metabolic adaptation: the body defends against weight loss by increasing hunger hormones and reducing energy expenditure.

This explains why “just eat less” often backfires.

4. Stress and Sleep Disruption

Elevated cortisol and poor sleep directly increase appetite and cravings, particularly for high-energy foods. Chronic stress keeps the brain in survival mode — and survival prioritises calories.

5. Learned Emotional and Reward Responses

Food can become a coping mechanism for stress, fatigue or emotional regulation — reinforcing neural reward pathways that maintain food noise even in the absence of hunger.

Why Traditional Dieting So Often Fails

Many patients arrive having tried:

• Calorie tracking

• Food elimination

• Intermittent fasting

• “Clean eating”

• Repeated short-term diets

While these approaches may produce short-term weight loss, evidence shows they frequently intensify food noise over time, especially in individuals with metabolic vulnerability.

Restrictive dieting signals deprivation to the brain, amplifying hunger, cravings and reward-driven eating. This leads to cycles of restriction, overeating and weight regain — not because of poor adherence, but because the biology is fighting back.

Sustainable weight management requires working with appetite physiology, not against it.

The Role of GLP-1 Therapy in Reducing Food Noise

GLP-1 receptor agonists (commonly referred to as weight-loss injections) have transformed how we medically support weight management because they directly address appetite regulation.

From a clinical standpoint, their value lies not simply in weight reduction, but in quietening food noise.

GLP-1 therapies work by:

• Enhancing satiety signals in the brain

• Slowing gastric emptying

• Reducing hunger-driven eating

• Diminishing reward-based food preoccupation

Many patients describe, often with relief, that for the first time:

“Food no longer dominates my thoughts.”

This reduction in food noise allows space for:

• More intentional food choices

• Improved relationship with eating

• Reduced emotional distress around food

• Greater consistency with nutrition and lifestyle changes

Importantly, GLP-1 therapy does not replace healthy behaviours.
It creates the physiological conditions in which healthy behaviours become achievable and sustainable.

Current evidence supports GLP-1 therapy as both effective and metabolically protective when used appropriately and under medical supervision.

Why GLP-1 Therapy Must Be Part of a Broader Care Plan

Medication alone is not enough.

At Complete Clinical Care, GLP-1 therapy is embedded within a comprehensive, individualised weight-management approach, designed to protect both physical and mental health.

Long-term success is supported through:

• Full medical assessment and safety screening

• Ongoing monitoring and dose adjustment

• Nutrition guidance focused on adequacy, not restriction

• Education to prevent under-eating and nutrient deficiencies

• Support for sleep, stress and metabolic health

• A focus on long-term sustainability rather than rapid loss

This integrated approach is essential. Evidence shows that under-fueling, poor protein intake and micronutrient deficiencies can undermine both metabolic health and psychological wellbeing — even during pharmacological treatment.

Is GLP-1 Therapy Right for You?

GLP-1 medications may be appropriate for individuals who experience:

• Persistent food noise or appetite dysregulation

• Difficulty maintaining weight loss despite lifestyle efforts

• Insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes

• Weight-related health risks where appetite control is impaired

A medical consultation is essential to assess:

• Eligibility

• Safety

• Individualised treatment options

• Long-term suitability

These treatments should always be clinician-led.

Moving Forward

Food noise is not a personal failing.
It is a medical signal that appetite regulation needs support.

When the biology is addressed appropriately, many patients experience not only weight change, but:

• Mental clarity

• Reduced guilt around eating

• Greater freedom and calm around food

• Improved confidence and wellbeing

As a clinician, it is deeply rewarding to see patients move from constant struggle to steadiness and self-trust.

If food noise is interfering with your quality of life or weight-management goals, medically supervised care may help,  and you deserve that support.