People taking Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy® experienced reduced food noise and boosted mental well-being
Summary by AI BETAClose X
- Results from a real-world survey suggest that semaglutide for weight management (Wegovy®) helped suppress food noise – unwanted and intrusive thoughts about food – in addition to its established effect on weight loss1
- The number of people who reported experiencing constant thoughts about food throughout the day declined by 46% after starting treatment with Wegovy®1
- The majority of respondents reported improved mental health (64%) and healthier habits (80%) while taking Wegovy®1
Bagsværd, Denmark, 16 September 2025 – Novo Nordisk today announced results from the US-based INFORM survey of people taking semaglutide for weight management (Wegovy®), at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2025, Vienna, Austria. The INFORM survey revealed that individuals experienced a substantial drop in food noise after starting Wegovy® treatment, alongside notable improvements in their mental well-being and lifestyle.1 Food noise – unwanted and intrusive thoughts about food – can affect the mental well-being, quality of life and weight loss efforts of those living with overweight or obesity.2
“There are so many factors that challenge people with overweight or obesity in their efforts to lose weight, including food noise,” said Filip Knop, MD PhD, senior vice president and incoming chief medical officer at Novo Nordisk. “It is very encouraging to see these 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.”
On Wegovy® treatment, the survey showed a decline of 46% in the number of people experiencing constant thoughts about food throughout the day (reported by 62% before starting Wegovy® versus 16% on Wegovy®).1 The proportion of participants who reported that food noise had a negative effect on their lives was 60% before starting treatment, which dropped to 20% for respondents on Wegovy® treatment.1
Around two-thirds (64%) of respondents reported that their mental health improved since starting Wegovy® treatment.1 Substantial majorities also reported developing a healthier lifestyle (76%) and healthier habits (80%).1 Around 8 in 10 (83%) of individuals in the study were satisfied with their Wegovy® treatment.1
Novo Nordisk continues to investigate how obesity impacts individuals’ day-to-day lives. An upcoming presentation at EASD highlights eating behaviour and control of eating with semaglutide from the STEP UP clinical trial. The findings add to the growing evidence of the broad health benefits of semaglutide in people with obesity, alongside its established effect on weight loss.3 Full results of the STEP UP and STEP UP T2D clinical trials were published in Lancet Diabetes Endocrinology on 14 September 2025.
About the INFORM survey
INFORM was a US-based survey of 550 people taking Wegovy® for weight loss, using a previously validated Food Noise Questionnaire with 22 questions to assess the impact of Wegovy® on mental well-being and eating habits relating to food noise.1,4 The mean age of individuals who participated in the survey was 53, and 86% reported as female. Around two-thirds (64%) reported a weight of 92 kg or above when starting Wegovy® treatment.1
About food noise
Food noise is a constant, obsessive and intrusive stream of food-related thoughts, distinct from hunger, and not necessarily related to the body’s need for energy.2,4–6 Food noise is experienced by the majority of people with obesity and can affect mental well-being through emotions such as guilt, shame and anxiety.2,7 Intrusive and excessive thoughts from food noise can distract people with obesity across many areas of their lives, and can hinder weight loss efforts.2
About Wegovy®
Semaglutide 2.4 mg is marketed under the brand name Wegovy®. In the EU, Wegovy® is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obesity) or adults with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.8 In the EU, Wegovy® is also indicated for paediatric patients aged 12 years and older with an initial BMI at the 95th percentile or greater for age and gender (obesity) and body weight above 60 kg. The clinical section of the label also includes data on Wegovy® major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) risk reduction, improvements in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)-related symptoms and physical function and pain reduction related to knee osteoarthritis.8
In the US, Wegovy® is indicated in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce the risk of MACE in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight, as well as to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in paediatric patients aged 12 years and older with obesity and in adults with obesity or with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.9
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 78,400 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Contacts for further information
| Media: | |
| Ambre James-Brown +45 3079 9289 globalmedia@novonordisk.com | Liz Skrbkova (US) +1 609 917 0632 lzsk@novonordisk.com |
| Investors: | |
| Jacob Martin Wiborg Rode +45 3075 5956 jrde@novonordisk.com | Sina Meyer +45 3079 6656 azey@novonordisk.com |
| Max Ung +45 3077 6414 mxun@novonordisk.com | Christoffer Sho Togo Tullin +45 3079 1471 cftu@novonordisk.com |
| Alex Bruce +45 34 44 26 13 axeu@novonordisk.com | Frederik Taylor Pitter (US) +1 609 613 0568 fptr@novonordisk.com |
_______________________
References
- Arnaut T, Hartaigh BO, Byrne K, et al. Impact on food noise after initiating semaglutide treatment: results from a US survey (INFORM). Oral presentation at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting 2025; 15 – 19 September 2025; Vienna, Austria.
- Dhurandhar EJ, Maki KC, Dhurandhar NV, et al. Food noise: definition, measurement, and future research directions. Nutr. Diabetes. 2025;15:30.
- Wharton S, Bhat S, Dalton M, et al. Control of eating and disordered eating patterns with semaglutide 7.2 mg in adults with obesity: The STEP UP trial. Oral presentation at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting 2025; 15 – 19 September 2025; Vienna, Austria.
- Diktas HE, LeBlanc MM, Cardel MI, et al. Development and validation of the Food Noise Questionnaire. Obesity. 2025;33(2):289–297.
- Masterson TD, Hayashi D. Food Noise and Its Impact on Diabetes Care and Management: Insights for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Cutting Edge Nutr Diabetes Care. 2025;3(1):16–20.
- Hayashi D, Edwards C, Emond JA, et al. What Is Food Noise? A Conceptual Model of Food Cue Reactivity. Nutrients. 2023;15(22):4809.
- Weight Watchers Clinic, STOP Obesity Alliance. Beyond hunger: understanding food noise. Available at: https://v.cdn.ww.com/media/system/cms/us/pdf-archive/WeightWatchers_Consumer_Landing_Page_2024.pdf?_gl=1*mc6p1o*_gcl_au*MTMzNDM2MDgyMS4xNzQ4OTA2MzMw. Last accessed: September 2025.
- Wegovy® Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/wegovy-epar-product-information_en.pdf. Last accessed: September 2025.
- Wegovy® Prescribing information. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/215256s015lbl.pdf. Last accessed: September 2025.
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