Prevalence and Correlates of Perceived Food Noise Among U.S. Adults in a Nationally Representative Sample.

BACKGROUND

Food noise is a term that has recently emerged in the media, social media, and public discourse to describe people's experiences around food-related thoughts. Despite recent efforts to define and measure food noise and the abundance of online content on the topic, the proportion of US adults who believe they experience it remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence and demographic and behavioral correlates of perceived food noise experiences in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.

METHODS

Data were drawn from Verasight's SBM Omnibus Survey (May 2026; N = 1000). Perceived experiences of "food noise" were assessed using a single item and categorized as frequent (often/always) versus infrequent. Weighted analyses examined differences across demographic groups, GLP-1 medication use, and eating- and weight-related behaviors.

RESULTS

50.89% of respondents reported experiencing food noise at least occasionally and 17.98% frequently. Frequent endorsement was higher among female-identifying respondents (22.70% vs. 12.68% in males, p < 0.001), younger adults (26.50%, p = 0.002), and Asian respondents (32.22%, p = 0.007). It was also more common among individuals reporting loss of control over eating (56.77%, p < 0.001), dietary restriction (27.84%, p < 0.001), recent weight loss attempts (24.33%, p < 0.001), and current and former GLP-1 users (25.76% and 26.78% vs. 16.30% among non-users, p = 0.009). Those reporting frequent food noise also reported poorer diet quality and mental health. In multivariable analyses, loss of control over eating (OR = 5.95), current GLP-1 use (OR = 1.60), and female sex (OR = 1.47) were the strongest independent predictors.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reported experiences of "food noise" are common and associated with demographic and disordered eating-related factors, highlighting widespread identification with this emerging construct and the need for further research to define and understand its clinical significance.