Weight-loss drugs help stop intrusive thoughts about food, study finds

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Weight-loss drugs not only alter appetite, but can also stop intrusive and obsessive thoughts about food, a new survey suggests.

Intrusive thoughts about food, known as ‘food noise’ affect about 57 per cent of people who are overweight or obese.

Experts say these constant thoughts about food make it harder for them to follow a healthy lifestyle and as a result lose weight. Some people also report that food noise affects their quality of life and their wellbeing.

However, new research presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna, Austria found that those who take weight-loss jab Wegovy saw their intrusive thoughts fall almost four-fold.

“There are so many factors that challenge people with overweight or obesity in their efforts to lose weight, including food noise,” said Dr Filip Knop, senior vice president and incoming chief medical officer at Novo Nordisk.

He added: “It is very encouraging to see this 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.”

About 1.5 million people in the UK take drugs such as Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy to deal with conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

Wegovy is the brand name for a drug called semaglutide, which is part of a group of drugs called GLP-1 agonists.

GLP-1 agonists predominantly treat diabetes but are also available on the NHS or via private providers to help adults with a high body mass index.

The drugs are mainly used to control blood sugar levels, but they also reduce food cravings and, as a result, can cause rapid weight loss.

The creators of Wegovy, Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, conducted a survey of 550 people in the US who were taking semaglutide for weight loss – 81 per cent of which had been taking the drug for at least four months.

Participants were asked how food noise was currently affecting them and to recall how it had affected them before starting treatment.

The proportion of participants experiencing constant thoughts about food throughout the day fell almost four-fold from 62 per cent before starting treatment to 16 per cent. Similarly, the proportion who said they spent too much time thinking about food fell from 63 per cent to 15 per cent.

The proportion who said they had uncontrollable thoughts about food fell more than three-fold from 53 per cent to 15 per cent; the proportion who said their thoughts about food had negative effects on them or their life fell from 60 per cent to 20 per cent; and the proportion who said their thoughts about food distracted them from completing everyday activities fell from 47 per cent to 15 per cent.

The survey also contained questions that covered several areas of mental wellbeing.

Here, 352 (64 per cent), 417 (76 per cent) and 438 (80 per cent) of the respondents reported an improvement in mental health, self-confidence and the development of healthier habits, respectively.

However, it is not known if these improvements were related to the drop in food noise or to the participants’ weight loss.