Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: As GLP-1 users transition to weight-loss maintenance, some report the return of food noise, a persistent preoccupation with food. This study aims to characterise patient-reported experiences of food noise and the strategies used to manage it during this phase.
METHODS: English-language posts were collected from UK GLP-1-focused subreddits between 1 May 2025 and 31 May 2026 using third-party social listening tool Brandwatch. Posts were required to reference both GLP-1 maintenance and food noise, refining the dataset to patients discussing food noise in the context of weight-loss maintenance. The final dataset was analysed using keyword frequency analysis and grounded theory.
RESULTS: Across 672 posts, food noise re-emergence during maintenance was associated with anxiety and fear (n=122), prompted redefinitions of success and failure relative to maintenance goals (n=61), and was characterised by its frequency and persistence (n=176) and intensity (n=152). GLP-1 users described dose adjustment strategies to minimise food noise during maintenance, including gradual dose reduction (n=242), tapering (n=56), and extending the interval between injections (n=37). A smaller subset reported sustained low-dose use as a longer-term management strategy (n=16). Peer advice and support around maintenance and food noise re-emergence was also actively sought online (n=102).
CONCLUSIONS: Social media discussions suggest that challenges with GLP-1 maintenance extend beyond weight regain to psychological burden of food noise. With limited clinical guidance available, patients describe relying on trial-and-error dosing adjustments to manage food noise while avoiding weight regain. These findings highlight a lack of awareness of food noise's psychological impact and an unmet need for evidence-based support to help patients navigate this phase of treatment.