food noise

English

Etymology

By a metaphor in which mental preoccupation is portrayed as noise inside one's head that cannot be turned off, somewhat like an earworm. Widely used since the early 2020s, when indications for using the GLP-1 receptor agonist medication class expanded beyond diabetes treatment into weight control for anyone with or without diabetes; not in widespread use before that. Attested since 2007.

Noun

food noise (uncountable)

1. (medicine, nutrition, idiomatic, figurative) A mental preoccupation with food that is differentiable from hunger and from cravings but tends to urge people to overeat.
   • 2007, Joy Bauer, Prevention's 3-2-1 Weight Loss Plan: Eat Your Favorite Foods to Cut Cravings, Improve Energy, and Lose Weight‎^[1], Rodale Press, →ISBN, page 98:

     […] the concept that once the meal is over, it's time to move on to other tasks. When you use one or more of them at the end of a meal or snack, you help to quiet the part of your mind that distracts you with thoughts about food, thus creating more mental energy for work, hobbies, and other tasks. Without all of the "food noise" in your head, you'll find you are much more productive. Consider using any or all of the following strategies to add closure to your meals. / • Light a candle for your meal and blow it out once you've finished. This simple strategy effectively says, "The meal is over." / • Brush your teeth after meals. Besides creating a mentally reinforcing ritual, brushing your teeth offers two side benefits. […]