Do you ever feel overwhelmed with thoughts –– thoughts you might not even want? Thoughts that are completely out of your control, but overwhelming to the point that you cannot seem to get them out?
When you are recovering from an eating disorder, or are at any point in an eating disorder journey, these intrusive thoughts might be more familiar to you than you care to admit. When your brain doesn’t let go of thoughts about food, it becomes more like noise, a staticky vibration that you cannot shake.
Such is the concept of “food noise.”
What is “food noise?”
According to one source, “Food noise isn’t just thinking about food. It’s having almost constant thoughts about eating and food that won’t turn off.
“‘Food noise is ongoing, unwanted thoughts about what you should or shouldn’t eat, what you’re craving or when you will eat next,’ says [Lindsey Battistelli, RD, a registered dietitian]. ‘It’s not a medical diagnosis, but an issue with how some people’s brains react to food. If you experience food noise, thoughts about food can feel like they’re taking over your mind.’”
Food noise is an internal dialogue where you are perpetually questioning your food choices, portion sizes and eating times. Being constantly mentally engaged with food can stem from the pressures of maintaining a certain body image, adhering to diet trends or even navigating the multitude of food choices at the grocery store –– and it can get exhausting really quick.
What causes food noise?
Food noise can come from a variety of sources; depending on your individual situation and story, you might experience this obsessive internal dialogue because of the content you consume on social media, the dieting culture around you or even your own personal stresses.
1. Dietary culture
The prevalence of diet culture is a primary cause of overwhelming food noise. Constant media exposure to new diets, superfoods and “ideal” body standards creates an environment where we often feel pressured to eat certain foods in certain ways, leading to an ongoing internal dialogue that is negative and pressuring.
2. Social media
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are overflowing with influencers who share their meals, body transformations and diet plans, often without the necessary context or nutritional background. This can quickly lead us to compare our habits, appearance and food choices to others.
Not only that, but when we let in the narratives this content promotes, we increase the volume on already anxious thoughts about food.
3. Personal anxiety
For many, food noise can come from your own journey with food, including past experiences, cultural background or health concerns. For example, someone who struggles with adult acne might be experiencing food noise when they are concerned that their dietary choices will make an impact on the clarity of their skin.
Or, you might find yourself obsessing over food labels, calorie counts or the fear of gaining weight, thus heightening food-related anxiety. Regardless of why you experience food noise, it can be helpful in the recovery journey to recognize if it stems from unaddressed stress about food.
How can I get a handle on the food noise in my head?
The sometimes unrelenting narrative of food noise can have some unpleasant effects on mental health, contributing to stress, anxiety and even eating disorders. Physically, it might lead to cycles of dieting and binge eating, disrupting normal hunger cues and a healthy and balanced metabolism. To put a stop to these impacts, you might consider developing certain daily strategies.
- Mindful eating, where you learn to pay full attention to the experience of eating, recognizing hunger and fullness cues, and savoring each bite without judgment. Mindful eating can help reduce the chatter and make eating a more conscious and enjoyable act.
- Limited screen time, where minimizing exposure to social media and food/exercise-related content can help silence external sources of food noise. Creating a more curated, positive digital newsfeed can reduce pressure and allow you to focus on a healthy body, not a perfect one.
- Counseling, where a registered dietitian or a mental health professional can provide personalized strategies to help you recognize and overcome food noise. These professionals can offer support in developing an approach to eating that aligns with both your physical and mental health goals.
- Intuitive eating, where you learn to listen to your body and eat in response to natural hunger and satisfaction cues instead of diet rules. By getting in touch with these internal signals, you will be better able to cultivate a healthier, less judgmental relationship with food.
Initially, you may feel that the food noise you’re experiencing is still loud even when you have put these coping strategies into effect. But the important thing to remember is perseverance. Recovery doesn’t happen overnight, and the more you practice these strategies, focus on mindfulness and celebrate your good days versus focusing on the bad, the better you will feel in the long run.
Need more strategies?
Seeds of Hope offers personalized treatment plans for anyone looking to heal their relationship with food, their body, exercise and their internal dialogue about food and nutrition. If you need help learning to quiet down that interior voice or are seeking nutritional support in any way, contact Seeds of Hope by calling 111-111-1111 or via our online contact form.
