Why Do I Constantly Think About Food?

Thinking about food is a natural part of being human. We need calories and nutrients to live — plus, we enjoy the taste and social benefits of sharing a meal with family and friends.

For some people, however, food can be a fixation, and their thoughts about it become excessive and harmful. Understanding why this is can be a helpful step in working to break the pattern.

With a convenient telemedicine platform, our top-notch team of psychiatric nurse practitioners at Lewis Family Psychiatry can provide personalized care for people of all ages throughout Florida. 

From our home base in Wellington, Florida, we take a holistic approach and create customized treatment plans for all our patients, whether they’re struggling with issues around food, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, or something else.

Food thoughts

Some people experience persistent, intrusive thoughts about food that not only make it their focus but can also influence their eating behaviors and decisions. This can significantly impact daily life and potentially lead to unhealthy eating, issues with weight, and even the development of medical conditions.

Reasons for thinking about food

Everyone thinks about food from time to time. This can be the result of your body needing energy and releasing certain hormones that signal a feeling of hunger.

In addition to physical hunger, sometimes we think about food for other reasons that trigger our desire to eat. It could be an environmental cue like seeing a food commercial or watching someone consume something that looks tasty. 

Food availability can also lead to thoughts about eating (hello bagels in the break room). Certain foods are created to be especially palatable to encourage more consumption (and sales).

Symptoms

There are a number of signs that indicate your food noise is too loud. This can include constantly thinking about when you’ll eat next and what your meal will be, worrying that you ate too much or too little, and feeling distress or exhaustion about your thoughts.

Causes

Different people have varying degrees of food noise due to a number of factors. These factors can include genetics, stress level, quality and length of sleep, and amount of physical activity. Psychological triggers like depression and anxiety can result in trying to self-comfort with food. A chemical in our brain, called dopamine, reinforces our positive experiences with food which further affects our food noise.

Certain metabolic conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and some medications like beta blockers and specific antidepressants can also lead to an increase in food thoughts. Or an imbalance of the hormones that regulate your appetite can cause this issue.

Getting help

Constantly thinking about food can make eating stressful and the judging and negotiating around it exhausting. It can also lead to disordered eating whether that’s consuming too much or too little.

Working with a mental health professional can help you understand your food triggers and cues as well as address other issues around eating like taste preferences, recognizing when fullness has been reached, establishing healthier eating habits, creating an exercise plan, managing stress, and more.

If food thoughts are disruptive or distracting or feel overwhelming and unmanageable, our experts can help with customized, caring treatment developed to address your specific situation. Click our contact button or call us at 561-303-0433 today for a virtual assessment or treatment appointment.

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