Food Noise: What is it & Its Impact on Mental Health - Part 1

3 minutes

Food noise, the persistent and intrusive mental chatter about what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat, has gained traction as a term, especially among those grappling with weight or body image issues. While not a new phenomenon, the term has become increasingly prevalent, thanks to social media influencers, celebrities like Oprah, and the emergence of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. Yet, without a clear understanding of its origins, food noise has been unfairly stigmatized as abnormal or indicative of a disease, disorder, or weakness.

In reality, food noise is not a true medical term but is considered a multifaceted interplay stemming from societal pressures, personal experiences, and psychological responses. While some may attribute it to genetics, it's more often a consequence of restriction, deprivation, societal norms, and personal history.

When is Food Noise a Sign of an Underlying Issue?

Food noise represents our internal dialogue about food and eating habits. While it's often portrayed negatively, it's only problematic when it becomes excessive, interferes with daily life, or creates anxiety around food. Normal food noise occurs naturally when anticipating a meal or when your body is physiologically hungry. However, when food noise becomes a constant mental chatter and receives self judgment, it can lead to feeling overwhelmed by food choices, indecision about what to eat, compulsion in watching others eat, and spending excessive time reading menus or browsing delivery apps. Clearly, at that point, it is unhealthy and deserves its notoriety.

Challenging the Notion of "Normal" and Food Noise

In my practice, when working with clients struggling with disordered eating, diagnosable eating disorders, or body image issues, a common sentiment emerges - they just want to feel "normal" and not think about food constantly. Those taking weight-controlling drugs (whether prescribed for that reason or not) like Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound often express relief, stating things like, "I finally understand how 'normal' people resist food so easily," or "This is what it feels like to be ‘normal’ and not have constant food chatter."

While it's true that experiencing less food chatter can be a massive relief for many who have been consumed by it for as long as they can recall, equating this to being "normal" is misguided. The reality is that anyone with a poor relationship with their body, has implemented food rules, struggles with their weight, restricts their intake, or cycles from restriction to overconsumption will experience food noise in a negative and unhealthy way. In certain cases, this can simply be a survival strategy or a helpful signal from our brains that we need more food or more variety.

Why Some People Experience Less Food Noise

Essentially, those considered "normal" in this context may have been genetically fortunate enough to have a body deemed attractive by societal standards, had an upbringing where they felt valued for reasons unrelated to their body, didn't have parents who expressed dissatisfaction with their body or discuss dieting, and never went through a period where they restricted food or food groups for reasons that have to do with their image.

These individuals may have also grown up in an environment that encouraged and supported them in understanding and identifying uncomfortable feelings. They were given the freedom to share and learn healthy coping mechanisms. Alternatively, they may have chosen different unhealthy coping mechanisms for unpleasant emotions they weren’t able to express. Examples include excessive television, video game playing, physical self-harm, drugs, or alcohol.

Is Food Noise Related to Being in a Bigger Body or Lacking Willpower?

No. Having excessive and intrusive food noise is not a result of weakness or being fat or in a bigger body (or however, you want to describe that term). Take this interesting comparison: when society describes an anorexic person, terms such as “strong,” “willpower,” and “disciplined,” are ascribed; whereas with binge eating disorder, the terms used are “weak,” “lazy,” and “undisciplined.” And yet, with both types of disorders, individuals are plagued with food noise that takes up the majority of their headspace.

What I hope to shine a light on is the notion that anyone who experiences food noise is somehow “abnormal,” has a disorder, lacks willpower, or is a food addict. When it’s thought of in that way, it also takes an individual’s power away with the resulting belief that there is no way to stop it without medication because something is wrong with that person’s brain. Reframing how food noise is perceived provides you the opportunity to be curious about the root of where it comes from and how some of your behaviors or internal dialogue are contributing to them.

What's Next? Exploring the Causes of Food Noise

The following two blog posts will delve more into depth about the causes of food noise and steps you can take to find your root causes to help you quiet it, whether that’s with or without medication assistance.

Part 2: Understanding Food Noise: Causes, Effects, and a Case Study

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