Penn State Survey: 18% of U.S. Adults Report Frequent 'Food Noise,' and Current GLP-1 Users Were More Likely to Say So
In a nationally representative online survey of 1,000 U.S. adults in May 2026, 17.98% said they often or always experience food noise, meaning intrusive thoughts about food, Penn State nutrition researchers Daisuke Hayashi and Travis Masterson reported in Obesity Science and Practice. Frequent food noise was reported by 25.76% of current and 26.78% of former GLP-1 users, compared with 16.30% of non-users; in adjusted analyses, loss of control over eating (odds ratio 5.95) was the strongest predictor, followed by current GLP-1 use (1.60) and female sex (1.47). The study used a single question, and Masterson said the GLP-1 finding "could arise from an awareness issue."