Nutrition For Mortals What Is “Food Noise” Really?
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Mar 5, 2025 The podcast dives into the concept of 'food noise,' sparked recently by GLP-1 medications. Hosts explore varying definitions, from Bethany Frankel's perspective to its rise on social media. Personal stories reveal how some report reduced food noise on medication. A scientific lens is applied, examining food-cue reactivity and debating whether food noise is merely a symptom of normal hunger. Cultural implications of who gets to discuss food noise are unpacked, alongside critiques of its commercialization and addiction framing.
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Patient Reports Of Food Noise Stopping
- Many people on GLP-1 medications report a dramatic drop in obsessive food thoughts almost immediately after starting the drug.
- The New York Times quoted a woman saying, "The food noise went silent."
Food Noise As Food-Cue Reactivity
- Researchers frame food noise as persistent food-cue reactivity that triggers physiological and psychological responses.
- This model helps explain why some people experience constant rumination while others do not.
Critique: Don't Pathologize Hunger
- Some critics argue that labeling hunger or appetite as "food noise" wrongly pathologizes normal bodily drives.
- They suggest reframing the experience as 'food music' to celebrate normal appetite signals.
