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The term "food noise" is still poorly defined and overlaps with known eating concepts.

Less food noise does not always mean recovery or clinical improvement.

The meaning and function of food thoughts matter more than frequency alone.

Commercial use of the food noise concept may pathologize normal eating thoughts and promote medication.

In recent years, the term food noise has quickly become common in public, clinical, and scientific contexts. It describes persistent, intrusive thoughts about food—the feeling that food is always “on one’s mind.” The term has gained prominence with the increased use of GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide, as many report these drugs reduce or “quiet” their food-related thoughts.

A recent article by Brewis and colleagues, published in Appetite, offers a timely and important critique of this emerging concept of food noise. They urge caution, emphasizing the need for clarity on what food noise is, how to measure it, and its meaning across clinical and social contexts before it becomes a clinical or commercial tool.

A Concept Still in Search of Definition

One of the central concerns raised in the article is that food noise remains poorly defined. Existing definitions describe persistent, intrusive food thoughts but overlap with concepts like food craving, preoccupation, cue reactivity, external eating, and aspects of food addiction.

This raises the question: Is food noise a new term for known eating behaviors and disorders, or a distinct phenomenon?

This issue matters because new tools like the Food Noise Questionnaire and RAID-FN Inventory are being developed, but many items resemble items from existing scales for food cravings or preoccupation with food. If these measures don’t provide new information, their clinical and research value is uncertain.

Food Noise and Eating Disorders

In my opinion, the concept is especially complex in relation to eating disorders. Frequent thoughts about food may reflect hunger, dietary restriction, or sensitivity to food cues, but they can also arise........

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