Lately, I’ve been watching the term “food noise” move through the media in a way that feels… disorienting. One minute it’s being described as a symptom to be silenced, the next it’s framed as proof that something is “wrong” with a person’s relationship to food. And in between, there’s a lot of quiet confusion—people wondering whether wanting relief from constant thoughts about food means they’ve failed, or whether being wary of appetite suppression means they’re resisting help they’re “supposed” to want.
That confusion makes sense. We’re being handed a concept without much context, in a culture that already struggles to tell the difference between care and control (especially when it comes to food and body size).
One of the questions that keeps lingering is whether what we’re calling food noise is actually separate from hunger at all. Or whether, in many cases, it’s hunger that’s been misunderstood, ignored, moralized, or stretched across stress, trauma, and scarcity until it no longer shows up quietly.
The reality is, hunger has never been neutral.
And that means this conversation about appetite is layered—no simple answers here.
So, to tackle it, I spoke with Christyna Johnson, a registered dietitian whose work sits at the intersection of nourishment and social justice (a perfect fit for Full Plate, as you all know).
She helps us unpack the way systems have weaponized hunger—and why that matters so much at a time where extreme thinness is being celebrated, hunger suppression is being normalized, and health is feeling more like a performance than ever.
This episode is honest, funny, gentle, and deeply unsettling all at once. It invites us into bigger questions (which is really my entire goal with this podcast):
Who benefits when we’re disconnected from our bodies?
And what becomes possible when nourishment takes up less brain space—so we can look up and care for one another?
Tune in for more on:
Hunger as a tool of control—historically, politically, and culturally
Growing up with limited food variety, dieting, and respectability politics
Diet culture as a cult (yes, it’s fascinating)
Why appetite suppression is being framed as “health”
GLP-1 medications, food noise, and informed consent
Epigenetics, famine, dieting, and intergenerational impact
The difference between the performance of health and actual well-being
Pleasure, nourishment, and why enjoying food matters
Why younger generations give us real reasons to hope
I hope this episode continues to reinforce these two truths: Your hunger is not too much. Your body is not the problem.
I’d love to talk about all of this in the comments.
What did you learn about hunger growing up — directly or indirectly?
Where and when did you first learn that hunger needed to be managed, earned, or silenced?
Did anything in this episode shift how you think about appetite or ‘food noise’?”
What parts of your hunger feel safest to listen to right now? What parts still feel scary?
PS: Make sure you’re following Christyna on Instagram. And check out her book, 100 Food Affirmations, right here.
And my gentle reminder: Don’t forget to like, share, and comment on these posts. Engagement really makes a difference and helps more people find this content. Thank you for your support!
