Understanding Food Noise and Its Impact on Eating Habits

You haven’t eaten for several hours and you’re starving, consumed with ravenous thoughts about what you’re going to eat next. Or you just finished a hearty meal, and you’re already making your way to the refrigerator or cupboard to see what you can munch on.

In either case, you could be experiencing food noise.

“Food noise is an intrusive, compulsive, constant thoughts about food that's getting in your way,” says Nicole O’Neill, a dietitian with OSF HealthCare. “It's running your life. It's causing you to make poor decisions about your food intake, and it's often something you don't want. I enjoy thinking about food because I like food but it's not bothering me. So, I would not call that kind of thought about what I'm going to make for dinner a problem. But if all you do all day long is think about what the next thing is. That's food noise, that's a problem.”

Skipping meals, avoiding specific foods and being stressed out can all contribute to food noise.

“Because if all you're doing is thinking about food, eventually you’re going to give in,” adds O’Neill. “And it's not that food is bad, but if you're preoccupied with, let's say, a whopper or donuts or whatever random processed thing, eventually you will not have the willpower to avoid it, and then you're going to be eating too many calories. If your goal is to maintain a healthy weight, it's going to get you in trouble.”

Food noise can be triggered at certain times of the day or during certain situations. O’Neill says the best way to stop the noise is to address what’s causing the problem. One way is by eating something every two to three hours. And avoid any unnecessary restrictions. O’Neill recommends staying flexible with your diet unless you have food allergies or a medical condition that prevents you from eating certain things. She adds that GLP-1 medications can reduce food noise in some patients. It's important to work with your medical and insurance providers to find the right fit.

Ways to manage food noise

Eat intentionally. Avoid watching TV while you eat so you can pay attention to what you’re eating and how much you’re eating.

Exercise. It not only preoccupies your mind, but exercise helps to regulate hunger hormones, and it’s a great way to reduce stress which can cause you to overeat.

Stress. This can be a problem because stress impacts your gut and your mental health. And when we’re stressed, we tend to reach for pizza and chips rather than healthier options like apples and celery sticks.

Sleep. A lack of sleep contributes to many problems, whether it's inability to deal with stress or inability to deal with your surroundings. O’Neill says if you're not getting enough sleep, your defenses are low and you’re probably going to give in to those food temptations. Poor sleep also increases hunger hormones and makes food thoughts louder and more frequent.

Sometimes food noise is caused by the body not getting enough protein, fiber or fat; your brain will keep pushing you to seek food.

“I think if you're really struggling with food noise issues, you should try to omit processed foods,” says O’Neill. “Really focus on whole fresh foods. So, you're getting protein, fats and fiber, plenty of carbs, because we need to have those things. And if you're just eating processed stuff, you miss out on a lot of the good, fresh stuff.”

O’Neill says food noise has always been a common problem for many people. But it doesn’t have to consume your every waking moment.

“Working with a dietitian is always going to be helpful if you are struggling with food noise,” O’Neill says. “I also think working with a therapist or a counselor, if it really runs your life, is an excellent process. There's no one size that fits all though. It's a very personal, very difficult thing to deal with. But we're here to help.”

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