Can’t stop thinking about food? Experts point to an unexpected cause
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Amid conflicting guidelines, GLP-1 weight loss trends, and recent dietary guideline updates, navigating nutritional advice can be overwhelming.
As weight loss conversations increasingly focus on medications, some Americans may be looking for more natural ways to silence what is often called “food noise.”
Here are some tips to help you unplug.
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What is food noise?
Experts say food noise can be described as frequent thoughts about food that can sometimes be mistaken for hunger.
Experts say food noise can be described as frequent thoughts about food that can sometimes be mistaken for hunger. (iStock)
The Well, from Northwell Health, describes it as a “constant loop of food-related thoughts” that can interfere with daily life and making decisions about eating.
This can lead a person to eat excess calories, causing weight gain, obesity and other medical problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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“It’s a lot of unnecessary, excessive thinking about food that can be exhausting,” Kat Garcia-Benson, a registered dietitian-nutritionist at VNutrition, a wellness brand that offers plant-based dishes and expert nutrition advice, told News Digital.
“You may have thoughts like: ‘I’m craving this,’ ‘When is my next meal?’, ‘What should I eat to be healthier?’, ‘I should eat this,’ or ‘I shouldn’t eat that,'” the Texas-based expert added.
Certain behaviors (such as skipping meals, ignoring hunger cues, relying on rigid eating rules, and eliminating entire food groups) can make eating noise worse. (iStock)
Certain behaviors can make eating noise worse. According to Garcia-Benson, these can include skipping meals, ignoring hunger cues, relying on rigid food rules, and eliminating entire food groups.
Studies have shown that some medical conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome and depression, can also increase eating noise, as can stress and inadequate sleep. Certain medications, such as antidepressants, can also exacerbate it.
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“It is also important to keep in mind that food noise is not a personal fault or [due to] “Having a lack of willpower,” Garcia-Benson added. “For many people, it’s a response to years of dieting/food restriction, stress, or inconsistent eating.”
Drivers of hunger
“The urge to eat is driven by three core aspects: hunger, satiety, and pleasure or reward,” Dr. Vinita Tandon, medical director of Medi-Weightloss, a physician-supervised weight loss program based in Tampa, told News Digital.
The body naturally produces a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 or GLP-1, which helps regulate appetite and food intake.
“There is a lot of unnecessary and excessive thinking around food that can be exhausting.”
However, in people with obesity, the body’s natural GLP-1 response may be less effective in signaling satiety, Tandon noted.
GLP-1 drugs, including Ozempic, can speed up weight loss by mimicking a natural hormone that suppresses appetite and helps people feel full sooner, the expert said.
In people with obesity, the body’s natural GLP-1 response may be less effective in signaling satiety. (iStock)
They also offer an additional benefit by acting on the brain’s reward pathway.
When someone eats a brownie, for example, they experience an increase in a “pleasure hormone” known as dopamine, Tandon said. GLP-1 medications mitigate this response, so a person does not feel any different eating a brownie than eating a spinach salad.
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“We no longer crave those unhealthy, sugary foods because we no longer get pleasure from them,” he added.
6 tips to tune out the noise of food
Some food noise triggers may be internal, such as certain hunger hormones that can make us eat more, while others are external, such as seeing a favorite snack or smelling a freshly baked cake.
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“[Some] “People find that peeling back the layers and building a healthier relationship with food can quiet the food noise, especially when it comes to a lifetime of cyclical dieting, such as going from restrictive diets to periods of overeating,” Garcia-Benson said.
Experts shared the following natural techniques that can help reduce food noise.
No. 1: Keep a “hunger log”
Writing down when your food cravings are strongest (for example, when scrolling on your phone) can help you identify any triggers.
Health experts recommend that adults consume 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day and at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and higher protein intake is often recommended to control appetite. (iStock)
No. 2: Increase fiber and protein intake
Research shows that these nutrients help you stay fuller longer by stimulating the natural hormones GLP-1 to send signals to the brain that reduce cravings.
Health experts recommend that adults consume 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day and at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and higher protein intake is often recommended to control appetite.
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No. 3: Slow down and be more present when eating
According to experts, focusing solely on food and eating mindfully can help curb appetite.
Harvard experts recommend eating more slowly and paying attention to each bite (without distractions like phones or television) to better recognize signs of fullness and avoid overeating.
No. 4: Get enough sleep
People who do not sleep well may have difficulty being disciplined in eating food the next day. They often crave highly processed, carbohydrate-rich foods to boost their energy, multiple studies have shown.
Health authorities recommend that adults sleep between seven and nine hours each night.
According to experts, focusing solely on food and eating mindfully can help curb appetite. (iStock)
No. 5: Manage stress
According to Tandon, chronic stress reduces the production of natural GLP-1 and causes elevated levels of cortisol, which can lead to weight gain.
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Experts recommend managing chronic stress with mindfulness, meditation, and consistent physical activity to help reduce cortisol levels and support healthier metabolic function and weight regulation, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
No. 6: Exercise regularly
Physical activity has been shown to increase GLP-1 levels. Most health authorities recommend that adults perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week and at least two days per week of muscle-strengthening activities.