SANDY TIMES – The voice in your head asking for a snack – it has a name

Dr Negin Hakim, general practitioner at Cornerstone Clinic, Dubai Marina, decodes what food noise actually is and why we may experience it.

To read the full article, visit SANDY TIMES, article written by Barbara Yakimchuk.

Food noise is one of the few health concepts that wasn’t coined by doctors, researchers or psychologists. In many ways, it was invented by the people experiencing it.

The biggest myth surrounding food noise is that it is simply a lack of willpower or a personal discipline issue. Persistent thoughts about food are usually driven by a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors. These include hunger hormones, restrictive diets, stress, poor sleep, sedentary lifestyles and constant exposure to highly palatable foods and food cues. When people assume it is purely a self-control issue, it often leads to shame and more restrictive behaviours, which can actually make the food noise worse over time. Stress increases cortisol levels, and for many people, eating becomes a quick way to find comfort or temporary relief. Poor sleep and chronic stress can significantly affect hunger hormones and appetite regulation

How common is food noise today? Much more than most people realise. According to recent surveys, 65% of people report regularly fighting the urge to eat even when they are not physically hungry. Yet only 12% are familiar with the term food noise itself.

Why does food noise become louder in some periods of life and almost disappear in others?

The answer is that our relationship with food has become far more complicated than simple hunger. Food no longer serves a single purpose. Today, it can be all of the following:

A reward — “I ran 10 kilometres. I’ve earned this chocolate.”
A comfort mechanism — “That meeting could have been an email. I deserve a little treat.”
A social activity — “Fancy grabbing a coffee and a croissant?”
A distraction — “This task is driving me mad. I’ll just make a snack first.”
Entertainment — a film somehow feels incomplete without popcorn, and an evening on the sofa often comes with something to nibble.
A habit — the biscuit with tea, the dessert after dinner, the snack that was never planned but somehow ended up in your hand.

Modern food production has changed dramatically over the past few decades.

Many highly processed foods are specifically designed to be hyper-palatable, combining sugar, fat and salt in ways that activate the brain’s reward system and encourage us to keep eating. Portion sizes have grown, convenience foods have become more accessible, and food marketing follows us almost everywhere.

The result is an environment that makes it harder to recognise natural hunger and fullness signals. No single ingredient is solely responsible, but the combination of ultra-processed foods, constant availability and endless exposure can make food noise significantly louder. While no single ingredient is solely responsible, the overall shift toward ultra-processed, highly rewarding foods is thought to be a significant factor in modern overeating patterns.