to think “food noise” is becoming one of those phrases people hide behind rather than actually dealing with their eating habits?

[foodywoody]

I keep hearing people say they have “food noise” and that’s why they’re constantly thinking about food or snacking, but isn’t that just hunger, boredom, habit, or emotional eating dressed up in a nicer label? I’m not saying it’s not real for some people, especially where there are medical issues involved, but the way it’s thrown around now makes it sound like no one has any control over it at all.

It just feels like another way to remove any personal responsibility. Not everything needs a label. Sometimes it’s just about eating properly and getting enough protein and actually addressing emotional eating.

Apologies for offending you. I did not mean to be offensive.

It’s the term that best articulates what I experience for a few days of my cycle each month. It might not have been been evidenced scientifically, or even studied, but in general conversation rather than published scientific studies I think that’s probably okay

Likely multiple factors.

Many more people smoked then, about a third in the mid 80s. More walking, heating more relatively expensive so more people were priced out of it and had to burn more calories to keep warm. More people in physical jobs. So there'll have been people who would have had food noise if they didn't smoke, and who did have it but had a lifestyle that involved burning off more calories.

And last but not least, the food is different.

Interestingly I have about 3 days of mine where I'm hungry a lot even on MJ.

I wouldn’t say emotional eating as much as addictive eating.

Alcoholics don’t blame whisky noise they say they’re an addict.

In my case/opinion, food noise is more like greed. Constantly wanting to eat whether hungry or not. I think some people are genetically more likely to gain weight than others (just like in the animal world) but I don’t think it’s uncontrollable. I think a lot of it is psychological and partially created by addictions caused by the processed food industry.
I think it’s not completely uncontrollable, as many people like to say it is. I think this theory will be created by the WLI industry, who will make a heck of a lot of money if they can persuade people that they need to buy these drugs forever. And I think those who haven’t eaten sensibly on WLI and who haven’t changed their eating habits are most likely going to be the ones who will need to stay on the drug, but some of them worry me. Please don’t take this as a personal attack if you’re on them. We just have different opinions..
In my case WLI haven’t turned off the food noise anyway. After nearly a year of WLI and using a lot of determination I am about to stop them. I’ve signed up for a weight loss program online that tries to help you change your mentality re dieting. A bit like slimpod. I’m interested to see if that helps with the final stone.

Interestingly, when I was hypnotised 30 years ago to give up smoking, the hypnotist said she had less successful results with weight loss,

All the positive reactions are interesting.

I have x2 degrees. One Masters in science, and one in Psychology. I also work with unhealthy people, own my home, 2 cars, dogs, children, married, amazing sex life. I myself was Type2 and Obese. I had a gastric sleeve and lost 15st - I still get food noise. Food noise is a scientific term. Would you like an informed discussion, or are you just projecting your bitterness at life? If you're going to blast people being 'uneducated', then please allow me to educate you. I'd hate for you to choke on irony, or maybe a piece of humble pie?

Thanks OP. You've cured my lifelong binge eating disorder & bulimia with that stern talking to. I'll make sure to tell myself that "food noise" isn't a real thing when I'm sticking my toothbrush down my throat later tonight to get rid of the 4 bags of crisps, two family size chocolate bars and large bag of jelly babies I'm desperately trying not to think about/devour.

Yeah well it’s not surprising that you’re not in a tiny minority, is it? Weight loss and WLI are two of the most widely misunderstood and disingenuously treated subjects in the world, and a lot of you have views that never evolved beyond the circles of shame pointing out celebrity cellulite in 90’s rag mags.

It's a label that helps describe all of those things?

Hope you get the help you need.

Not sure why you thought my OP was a stern talking to but hey ho.

We have no control over our food noise. Some people find it easier not to act on it though. When I take WLI all of it goes away… which proves it’s somewhat physiological. Because it goes from a constant craving and thinking to just… quiet, content to choose healthy choices.

Am I in a tiny minority? If it was 25 who agreed with me then yeah. But is not.

Interestingly, when I was hypnotised 30 years ago to give up smoking, the hypnotist said she had less successful results with weight loss

That makes intuitive sense to me @Gingercar. Smoking is a thing that it's possible to stop entirely. You can't stop eating!

That’s just addiction.

Alcoholics could say the same about wine. It’s in the fridge they want to buy more.

But the alcoholics I know took responsibility for their addiction, did a 12 a step programme.

”Food noise” is just an excuse to avoid taking responsibility.

Food noise isn’t being hungry, believe me. I still get hungry sometimes on WLIs and it is nothing like food noise.

In fact this is a good example of the difference between people who are sensitive to or dominated by food noise and people who aren’t. If you think about food because you’re hungry, that’s normal regulation of your appetite. If you think about food all the time, obsessively, regardless of whether you’re hungry, regardless of whether you’ve just eaten, regardless of whether you’d be sick if you ate another thing, then you have an issue with food noise.

She said 'not in a tiny minority'. It reads like an explanation for why lots of people agree with you rather than arguing that they don't.

But unlike booze, you can’t give up food.

I said you’re not in a tiny minority. You have a very mainstream (but ignorant) view.

The body has feedback systems (hormonal and neurological) that govern appetite and food-seeking behaviour, and the latest weight loss drugs work by interfering with those systems. It's not emotion-driven, and it's not imaginary!

Obviously, people vary, but the recent rise in obesity seems likely to be down to an environment of high food availability and reduced physical demand. It would be rather odd if there weren't lots of people evolved to make maximum use of food when it's available.

@ButterYellowHair We have no control over our food noise

This is a case in point: it’s addict language.

If you replace food with alcohol you’re describing addiction mentality.

The 12 step programmes were set up to treat exactly this.

Why does it bother you?

I don’t even need to read further than the OP to tell you that if you don’t think it’s a real think, then you just haven’t experienced it. It’s all consuming. I’m sure I’m one of dozens of people who’ve said the same thing but don’t want to read the rest as I’m sure we’re all getting a slating for being such fat bastards with no will-power. GLP-1 meds have changed my physical and my mental health.