What does food noise actually sound like?

Where weight loss is concerned, improving your physical health is only part of the journey. Effective weight management relies heavily on your psychological health too, particularly when it comes to how you think and feel about food.

One area that has gained attention as of late is the concept of ‘food noise’, a term used to explain the persistent mental preoccupation with food. Let’s unpack this concept further.

What is food noise?

Food noise, which can also be referred to as food chatter or head hunger, refers to the incessant mental chatter revolving around eating.

"Essentially what it means is constantly having food on your mind," Dr Ben Condon, a medical doctor at Juniper explains. "Whether it be thinking about that next snack, or you've just eaten but you're already thinking about your next meal."

A user from a Reddit forum expressed the feeling as “The constant buzzing of craving and temptation.” They compared it to the constant electrical buzzing of power towers stating “Food noise as an adult reminds me of that. You almost don't notice how much it disturbs you until it's not there anymore. But it's the mental noise of knowing what's in your cupboard that might shut it up, but you eat and it's still there. So you eat again. And it's still there.”

While food noise is different for everyone and has varying degrees of intensity, having that constant buzzing in the back of your mind can make it extremely difficult to carry on with everyday life.

Is it possible to switch it off?

Yes, thankfully with the right strategies in place you can switch off, or at least minimise, your food noise. This has been the case for many Juniper patients who have now developed coping mechanisms through healthy eating habits.

"I explain it as a radio being on in the background," Dr Condon says. "A lot of patients say that radio has been turned off and they just don't think about food as much, which in turn means that they're able to make better and more conscious decisions about their food intake, but also focus on other things.”

Let’s hear how these patients have changed their lives for the better by eliminating food noise.

“The [medical treatment] really cuts the noise of feeling hungry or snacking.” - Elaine

“I'm not constantly thinking about food and what I'm going to eat. I don't wake up thinking ‘Oh, right. What am I gonna have to eat today?’” - Sarah

“My binge eating was out of control. My thought process about food and my relationship with food was out of control. [Juniper] helps you to control your hunger and your thought process about food.” - Debbie

“I don't feel as if I'm ruled by food anymore. You don't have to worry about cravings or hunger pangs anymore, because because this will help you to stay in control.” - Audrey

I'm just a different person. It's just really taken all of the complications out of my relationship with food, and that's a huge thing for me.” - Lucy

“I stop eating when I feel full. I don't think about food all the time and because I can see the changes in my body, it helps keep me motivated to make healthy lifestyle choices for myself and my family.” - Alisha

Changing the tune

While there’s no one quick fix, there are ways that you can quieten down the internal food chatter and develop a healthier relationship with food.

Firstly, it’s important to work out what’s driving it. Do you have any cues or triggers that contribute to your food noise? Keeping a food journal can help you track these circumstances so that you can put coping mechanisms in place.

The next step is to implement healthy lifestyle changes such as mindful eating, reducing temptations, and seeking professional guidance to give you a helping hand.

If you’re still finding that your mind is ruminating about food day in and day out, it might be time to try a Weight Reset Program like Juniper.

It gives you access to expert advice from our trained health practitioners, dietitians, and nutritionists, as well as top-tier health coaches. Plus, our medically-backed treatments help to reduce hunger signals and increase feelings of fullness, helping to quieten food noise. And for emotional support, join us on our exclusive forums to chat with others going through the same things — and swap tips, tricks, and encouragement along the way.

Take the quiz below to see if our program is right for you.