Nearly nine out of 10 Brits admit to eating when they’re not actually hungry. Almost half say they think about food “all the time”.
This, according to Numan’s latest research, is food noise – intrusive, persistent thoughts about food that can feel impossible to silence. It’s the mental soundtrack pushing people towards a snack moments after a meal. For many living with obesity, it’s not just about appetite. It’s a constant preoccupation that affects concentration, self-esteem and quality of life, making daily food choices exhausting and often undermining healthy intentions.
Our data shows people who are overweight or obese are more than twice as likely to feel their food thoughts are uncontrollable. Half of them say the impact on their mental wellbeing is significant.
This is not just willpower failure. Hormones such as ghrelin and leptin, which regulate hunger and fullness, are easily disrupted by stress, poor sleep and constant exposure to food cues. The result: relentless food thoughts, mindless snacking, late-night fridge raids. Over time, that increases risks of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.
For decades, government campaigns have urged people to “eat well” or “move more”, but knowledge alone does little to quieten food noise. Willpower-based messages can’t work in environments designed to undermine them.
Ease the mental load
The companies shaping our food environments have enormous influence, but with that comes a duty of care. By reducing decision fatigue, creating healthier defaults and supporting consumers with positive messaging, they can ease the mental load millions live with every day.
Food brands and retailers can help overwhelmed shoppers by putting clearer traffic-light labels on packs, placing healthier options at eye level, and curating balanced meal bundles. Online, healthier suggestions should appear first, making the smart choice the easy one.
Apps, loyalty cards, on-pack portion guidance and in-store recipe cards can all nudge shoppers towards healthier swaps. What we choose to eat is too often framed in terms of good and bad, using emotive words like “treat” or “indulgence”. Brands should commit to positive, non-stigmatising campaigns that normalise balanced eating instead of glorifying extremes.
There are strong examples to learn from. The UK’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy drove reformulation and cut sugar without hurting sales. Chile’s bold front-of-pack labels and ad restrictions reduced sugary drink purchases. Amsterdam’s joined-up approach lowered childhood obesity rates.
Voluntary measures have delivered little where mandatory frameworks can help shift the dial. But that doesn’t mean industry should wait for regulation. The most forward-thinking businesses will act now: reformulating products, rebalancing marketing, and reshaping food environments in ways that build consumer trust and long-term relevance.
Because food noise isn’t going away. If brands and retailers keep profiting from it, the burden – mental, physical and economic – will only grow. But if they step up, they can help create a food system that supports healthier choices, reduces stress, and respects people’s mental wellbeing as much as their physical health.
Consumers are already battling enough mental noise; food businesses should ease the load, not add to it.
Zoe Griffiths, VP of behavioural medicine at Numan
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