A new study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey, found that GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro reduce what researchers call "food noise" more effectively than behavioral therapy alone. The findings were presented between May 12 and 15 at the conference, though they have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
According to Healthline, food noise is defined as intrusive and persistent thoughts about food that can interfere with daily life and make healthy behaviors more difficult. The concept gained widespread attention after GLP-1 drugs became widely used for weight management, but until recently, most of the evidence that these medications helped quiet food noise was anecdotal.
The observational study included 417 adults who were participating in a digital behavioral weight management program. Researchers evaluated changes in food noise over one month using a tool called the Food Noise Questionnaire, or FNQ. The questionnaire asks five questions, each scored on a scale of zero to four, for a maximum total score of 20. Participants rate statements such as "I find myself constantly thinking about food throughout the day" and "My thoughts about food feel uncontrollable" on a scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree.
Participants were divided into two groups: those who began a GLP-1 medication at the start of the study period and those who used only the behavioral weight management program. At the one-month follow-up, those using a GLP-1 drug alongside the program showed a more significant decrease in food noise than those who did not use the medication.
Kristin Kirkpatrick, president of KAK Consulting and a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness and Preventive Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, was not involved in the study but spoke to Healthline about the findings. She described the nature of food noise and the kinds of foods typically associated with it.
"Food noise is powerful, so when the noise is less, and the environment is more 'quiet,' the individual is less likely to consume foods that may contribute to weight gain," Kirkpatrick said.
She also drew a distinction between food noise and ordinary hunger. "Typically, food noise is the loudest for foods that are often additive in nature, such as ultra-processed foods," she said. "Think candy, cookies, bread-based snacks and meals, snack foods, pizzas, etc. Food noise is not the same as hunger. It's instead tied to powerful, often intrusive cravings."
Kirkpatrick added that the benefit her own patients report goes beyond the scale. "The freedom from food noise is a common benefit I hear from my patients on GLP-1s," she said. "In fact, it's often mentioned to be as impactful as weight loss."
The study adds structured data to a conversation that has largely been driven by patient accounts since GLP-1 drugs became widely prescribed. Researchers are expected to pursue peer-reviewed publication of the findings following their presentation in Istanbul.
