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WeightWatchers Unveils “Beyond Hunger: Understanding Food Noise” Report Offering Insights Into the Experience of Ongoing, Intrusive Thoughts About Food
New consumer data reveals that more than half of people living with overweight or obesity experience “food noise,” yet only 12% of people were familiar with
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[{"type":"text","content":"New consumer data reveals that more than half of people living with overweight or obesity experience “food noise,” yet only 12% of people were familiar with the term before surveyed\nNEW YORK, Jan. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeightWatchers (NASDAQ: WW), (“WeightWatchers,” “WW,” or the “Company”) today announced the findings of its “Beyond Hunger: Understanding Food Noise” report focusing on people living with overweight or obesity and their experience of constant rumination about food, known as “food noise.” In partnership with STOP Obesity Alliance at George Washington University’s Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, the study reveals a deeper understanding of food noise, which may reflect a biological contribution to obesity, and brings it to the forefront of the cultural conversation around weight bias, GLP-1 medications, and Weight Health. “The difference between food noise being problematic or not comes down to how often and how intensely it’s occurring. Food noise that occurs daily can be so intense and intrusive that it negatively impacts food choices and quality of life,” said Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, obesity and lipid specialist physician and medical director, WeightWatchers. “With constant, intrusive thoughts about food, it’s difficult to navigate behavioral change without clinical help. The first step towards relief and greater empathy for those living with obesity is acknowledging that food noise is a real biological issue that many are facing.” Once the term food noise was explained to those surveyed as “constant, intrusive thoughts about food that are disruptive to daily life and make healthful behaviors extremely difficult,” 57% of people living with overweight or obesity say they’ve experienced it; still, only 12% had been familiar with the term. While food noise is universal and can be experienced by anyone, the intensity can vary from person to person. For many living with overweight or obesity, thoughts of food can become confounding, with 65% stating they fight the urge to eat even though they aren’t hungry. Food noise can be a significant roadblock to weight health, with 61% of people living with overweight or obesity saying that food noise makes it difficult to stick to a nutrition or exercise plan. Yet, because of the depth of weight-related stigma, food noise is often ignored as a contribut...