Novo Nordisk has said a real-world survey of its weight-loss therapy Wegovy shows it can reduce ‘food noise’, persistent, intrusive, or repetitive thoughts about eating – even when full – that can be a major driver for becoming overweight.
The term is well established among nutritionists, but has started to come into public parlance only in the last couple of years amid anecdotal reports that GLP-1 agonist therapies like Wegovy (semaglutide) can help people to be less obsessed with eating and have fewer cravings.
Novo Nordisk said its INFORM poll – reported at the ongoing European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna – showed that the number of people who reported experiencing constant thoughts about food throughout the day declined by 46% after starting treatment with Wegovy.
Food noise was reported by 62% of the people included in the poll before starting Wegovy, and 16% whilst on the drug, with around two-thirds (64%) of respondents also reporting that their mental health improved since starting weight-loss treatment with the GLP-1 agonist.
While encouraging, it is not clear yet whether the improvements in mental wellbeing were related to the drop in food noise or to the participants’ weight loss.
The survey was carried out in 550 subjects, mostly middle-aged women who had been taking Wegovy for at least four months. Study authors included three Novo Nordisk employees, and the poll was carried out with support from market research firm Market Track LLC.
The proportion who said they spent too much time thinking about food fell by 63% to 15%, and the proportion who said their thoughts about food had negative effects on them or their life fell from 60% to 20%. Around half (47%) said their thoughts about food distracted them from completing everyday activities at the start of the study, but that fell to 15% with Wegovy treatment.
“There are so many factors that challenge people with overweight or obesity in their efforts to lose weight, including food noise,” said Filip Knop, incoming chief medical officer at Novo Nordisk, who will take over from Stephen Gough – who is retiring – on 1st October.
“It is very encouraging to see these new data from people using Wegovy that, in addition to weight loss, Wegovy may help quiet disruptive thoughts about food, support improved mental well-being and help enable people to live healthier lives,” he added.
What wasn’t included in the survey, and will need to be considered in further research, is whether food noise returns once treatment with GLP-1 drugs stops. One study (PDF) has shown that people who come off weight-loss medications can regain two-thirds of the weight they shed within a year.
Photo by Darí Dorofeeva on Unsplash
