dave_SLC said:

The thing that changed for me was not hunger, it was that the constant background negotiation about food simply stopped, and I had not realised it was…

Central vs peripheral GLP-1R signaling in food noise: elegant studies using brain-penetrant vs peripherally-restricted GLP-1 agonists show that ~80% of the weight loss effect is centrally mediated[1].

The key brain regions: arcuate nucleus (appetite), area postrema (nausea), NTS (satiety), VTA/NAc (reward). Peripheral effects (gastric emptying, insulin secretion) contribute but are secondary for weight loss.

This has implications for next-gen drugs: optimizing brain penetration and CNS receptor occupancy may be more important than systemic exposure.

HPLC_Greg said:

Central vs peripheral GLP-1R signaling in food noise: elegant studies using brain-penetrant vs peripherally-restricted GLP-1 agonists show that ~80%…

Alcohol relationship change with food noise: I used to drink 2 glasses of wine most nights. Since starting GLP-1 therapy, I have zero interest in alcohol. Haven't had a drink in 8 months.

The "food noise" reduction seems to extend to other reward-seeking behaviors, including alcohol. My liver enzymes have improved, my sleep is better, and I've saved roughly $234/month on alcohol. Triple win.

dave_SLC said:

The thing that changed for me was not hunger, it was that the constant background negotiation about food simply stopped, and I had not realised it was…

Second this. Posting only so the count is not one.

Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.

Neuroscience perspective on food noise:

GLP-1 receptors are expressed throughout the CNS, with high density in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, area postrema, and — critically — the mesolimbic reward pathway[1].

This is directly relevant to food noise because the central effects of GLP-1 agonists extend far beyond simple appetite suppression. The reduction in "food noise" that patients describe is likely mediated by modulation of dopaminergic signaling in the VTA and nucleus accumbens.

The emerging data on reduced addictive behaviors (alcohol, gambling) further supports this mechanism. food noise should be understood in this broader neurobiological context.