Turning Down Food Noise: The Role of Weight-Loss Medications in Managing Food Obsession
For some individuals, persistent thoughts about food—commonly referred to as “food noise”—can dominate daily life, making it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship with eating. Food noise refers to incessant internal chatter about food, which can drive compulsive eating habits. Recently, some people using popular weight-loss medications like semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic or Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro or Zepbound) have reported that these drugs help quiet such food-related thoughts.
Savannah Mendoza, a 27-year-old from California, describes her experience with food noise as an obsessive and consuming focus on eating. Before starting tirzepatide, she often indulged in fast food or ice cream in secret, battling a constant preoccupation with food. After beginning the medication, she noticed a newfound sense of peace and attributed it partly to a side effect of feeling less hungry.
Similarly, Summer Kessel, a registered dietitian, shared that the medication transformed her relationship with food. Once plagued by an insatiable appetite, Kessel now eats balanced meals and no longer fixates on food throughout the day. For both Mendoza and Kessel, the drugs seemed to reduce the mental “chatter” associated with food noise.
The Science of Food Noise
Dr. Michael Lowe, a professor at Drexel University, explains food noise as a form of “hedonic hunger,” where the desire for food stems from pleasure rather than physical need. While normal hunger signals the body’s need for calories, hedonic hunger drives overeating, often triggered by highly palatable foods.
Experts believe that food noise, while not universally studied, is influenced by both psychological and environmental factors. Dr. Najaf Asrar, an endocrinologist, attributes part of the issue to modern food environments, where fast-food outlets and processed snacks are omnipresent, creating constant temptation.
Medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, work by mimicking hormones that signal satiety and slow digestion. This helps regulate appetite and reduce the obsessive thoughts tied to food noise. However, Dr. Tom Hildebrandt, an expert in eating and weight disorders at Mount Sinai, warns that these medications may sometimes create a new fear of food, as patients associate certain meals with physical discomfort.
Beyond Medication
While GLP-1 medications have shown promise in reducing food noise, they are not the only solution. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other pharmacological treatments, such as antidepressants or Vyvanse (approved for binge-eating disorder), have also proven effective. Hildebrandt emphasizes that addressing food noise often requires a multifaceted approach, including therapy to combat societal food cues and self-regulation strategies.
Dr. Asrar advises that weight-loss medications do not have to be lifelong and that patients can work toward rewiring their relationship with food. Cognitive interventions and lifestyle changes can help sustain the benefits achieved with GLP-1 drugs.
A Lifeline for Many
Despite the challenges, for individuals like Mendoza and Kessel, these medications have been life-changing. For Kessel, the ability to quiet food noise and focus on nutrition, even without significant weight loss, has been a major relief. Similarly, Jackson LeMay, another patient, noted that while the medication has improved his diet, it also transformed his mindset about eating—from living to eat to eating to live.
Dr. Lowe believes these medications target the underlying physiological and hormonal drivers of excessive appetite, offering patients a way to regain control. While not a universal fix, GLP-1s have helped many people take the first step toward healing their relationship with food.
