The biology of food noise

You might be working, driving, or sitting in a meeting, but part of your brain is elsewhere, mentally rifling through the kitchen cupboards. This intrusive soundtrack of food thoughts, known these days as “food noise,” is more than just a passing craving. It’s a psychological and biological tug-of-war that scientists are only beginning to map.

For some, this background buzz is occasional. For others, it’s relentless, making it hard to focus on anything else. And while the idea might feel new, researchers have been trying to find out what exactly food noise is, and why it happens.

What we mean by ‘food noise’

Although “food noise” isn’t a formal medical term, it’s a very real experience for many people living with obesity or struggling with their relationship with food. It describes persistent, intrusive thoughts about eating, even when you’re not hungry.¹

Examples include thinking about your next meal while you’re still eating the last one, feeling pulled towards food adverts or delivery apps, or constantly fighting urges for certain high-calorie foods.

In research, this overlaps with something called food cue reactivity, which is your brain and body’s response when exposed to food-related triggers, like seeing a slice of cake, smelling bread baking, or even just imagining a favourite meal.¹

Why our brains are wired this way

From an evolutionary perspective, being highly sensitive to food cues was a survival advantage. Thousands of years ago, when food was scarce, noticing and remembering where to find it could mean the difference between life and death.¹

Thankfully, for most people today the biggest worry is remembering where we’ve put a specific condiment. And so the problem stems from the fact that our modern world is flooded with food cues. Supermarkets are packed with colourful packaging. Social media is filled with cooking videos and restaurant reels. Even the high street bombards you with coffee aromas and fast-food signs.

For some people, this constant stimulation can keep the brain in a food-seeking mode far more than is helpful, leading to overeating, weight gain, and frustration.¹

How the brain reacts to food cues

When you see, smell, or think about food, several brain areas light up, including regions involved in reward and motivation (like the nucleus accumbens) and appetite regulation (like the hypothalamus).¹

These reactions are part of what scientists call the mesocorticolimbic pathway, which is essentially the brain’s reward circuit. In some people, this pathway reacts more strongly to food cues, creating intense cravings that are hard to ignore.¹

On top of that, hormones also play a role. Ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) can make food cues feel more tempting, while leptin (the “satiety hormone”) should dampen this effect. But in obesity, leptin signalling can be less effective.

Food noise isn’t just about willpower

It’s important to understand that experiencing strong food noise is not about being weak-willed or greedy, and that it’s biology.

If your brain is highly reactive to food cues and you live in an environment packed with them, you’re going to think about food more often. Over time, this can create a cycle where eating becomes the quickest way to quieten those thoughts, reinforcing the behaviour.

When food noise is high, the short-term effect is often increased snacking and larger portions. In the long term, this can lead to weight gain, difficulty losing weight, or regaining weight after dieting.

There are now certain treatments available which studies have linked to ‘dampening’ down the food noise. But quieter food noise doesn’t mean you stop enjoying food, because that would be awful. It actually means that you’re less preoccupied by it. People often describe feeling more “neutral” towards tempting foods, able to walk past a bakery without a battle in their head.¹

What we still don’t know

While the anecdotal reports are compelling, research into food noise is still in its early stages. Scientists want to better define and measure it, and to understand exactly how certain treatments influence the brain’s response to food cues.¹ They’re also exploring whether this effect might extend to other reward-driven behaviours, like alcohol consumption or smoking, since the brain pathways involved are similar.

The numan take

Food noise is a useful everyday term for what scientists call persistent food cue reactivity - a state where the brain is constantly nudging you to think about eating. If you’ve ever felt like food takes up too much mental space, know that you’re not alone and that it’s not a personal failing. It’s a biological response shaped by your brain, your hormones, and your environment. Thankfully, science is finding new ways to help turn down the volume.

References

1. ^{Hayashi D, Edwards C, Emond JA, Gilbert-Diamond D, Butt M, Rigby A, et al. What is food noise? A conceptual model of food cue reactivity. Nutrients. 2023;15(22): 4809.}

2. ^{Collins L, Costello RA. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.}