Diet culture gaslights us about hunger – but that doesn’t mean we should gaslight people about food noise.
Let’s talk about food noise versus hunger—because they are NOT the same thing.
I was shocked recently to see a qualified, reputable and registered dietitian (USA) say that there is no such thing as food noise and people are just hungry and need to eat more.
I understand the scepticism; for years, diet culture gaslit us and told us, "You're not hungry, you're just thirsty", and "You just need more willpower." And so people have been torturing themselves thinking their normal hunger cues are abnormal or personal failings.
If you aren't eating enough you could be preoccupied with thoughts about food. But that doesn't mean everyone who has this experience is simply hungry. Biology, and psychology are complex.
🛑 Hunger:
✔️ Starts gradually, gets more noticeable with time
✔️ Comes with physical cues—like a growling stomach
✔️ Goes away after eating a balanced meal
🛑 Food Noise:
🚨 Persistent or intrusive thoughts about food & eating
🚨 Not linked to physical cues
🚨 Doesn’t stop or subside after eating a sufficient and balanced meal.
Sure, food noise is abstract and harder to measure compared to hunger. A lot of the evidence is anecdotal and it’s a more recent construct with less data behind it. It’s also very possible that other things we have been trying to describe in the scientific literature over the years, like low satiety phenotypes and food addiction, are linked to the concept of food noise. There isn’t a singular experience with it, and trying to describe it to someone who hasn’t felt it feels almost impossible.
We can measure hunger with biological markers, it goes away after eating well. Food noise doesn't go away after eating well and is measured by psychometric tests. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a true experience. There are lots of things that are 'real' in science that we measure this way. If people are telling you they are eating and still feel the noise, even when they don’t actually feel hungry, it might not be diet culture, it might be something to work with them on. Gaslighting in the name of empowerment isn’t very helpful.
Food noise has entered the vernacular through the Ozempic era, many people have reported not having food noise for the first time ever. This could be a tool for some that is coupled with other interventions, just like we do with anxiety and depression where medication is seen as a tool, but not necessarily a silver bullet. I understand that we don’t want to do the reverse and diagnose sadness as depression, but more than one thing can be true. Some people can be hungry and over restricting while others can be struggling with food noise.
But GLP-1 mimetics should still let people feel hungry (and checking on this should be part of reviewing and prescribing), and they aren't the only solution. There are a range of therapy and mindful eating practices that can help, and a good dietitian can help you with that.
People talk a lot about silencing food noise, but it can also be about knowing how to cope with it. We will all have different experiences and things to cope with in food choice, eating, and our brains, so let’s couple our critical thinking with some kindness.
Some research on food noise:
