Frequent cravings and persistent thoughts about food can be very distressing. They are not simply a willpower problem. Hunger is regulated by gut and brain signals, including ghrelin, which increases hunger, and PYY, which promotes fullness. Histology: A Text and Atlas, p. 650.
Do not start an appetite-suppressant, stimulant, “fat burner,” or herbal product on your own. Many are ineffective, can worsen anxiety, sleep, blood pressure, or heart rhythm, and can make an underlying binge-restrict cycle worse.
What you can try daily
- Eat regularly rather than “making up for it” by skipping meals. Aim for 3 meals and, if needed, 1 planned snack. Long gaps often intensify cravings.
- Make each meal filling: include a protein source, high-fiber carbohydrate/vegetables or fruit, and some fat. Examples: eggs plus whole-grain toast and fruit; yogurt plus nuts and berries; beans/chicken/tofu with rice or potatoes and vegetables.
- Plan enjoyable foods rather than banning them. Keep portions deliberate and eat them seated, without scrolling or TV when possible. Strict food rules commonly increase preoccupation and rebound eating.
- Use a 10-minute pause for a craving. Drink water or tea, step away from food cues, and ask: “Am I physically hungry, stressed, bored, tired, or seeking a particular taste?” If you still want the food after the pause, have a planned serving without guilt.
- Improve sleep and reduce food cues. Inadequate sleep can shift appetite hormones toward more hunger. Keep highly triggering foods less visible or buy single portions, while keeping quick satisfying options available.
- Track patterns, not calories, for 1 to 2 weeks. Note time, hunger from 0 to 10, food craving, mood, sleep, and whether you felt loss of control. This helps distinguish physical hunger from habit, stress, restriction, or binge-type eating.
When medical treatment may be appropriate
Prescription options that reduce appetite, such as GLP-1 based medicines, are sometimes used for people who meet criteria for overweight/obesity treatment or who have weight-related conditions. They need an individual medical review, screening for contraindications and side effects, and should not be used merely to suppress normal appetite. Current NICE guidance also advises assessment for an eating disorder when one is suspected, rather than relying on BMI alone.
NICE referral guidance
Please consider an assessment if any of these apply
Speak with a GP, dietitian experienced in eating behavior, or therapist if you:
- eat an unusually large amount in a short time and feel unable to stop
- eat secretly, feel shame/guilt afterward, or compensate by vomiting, fasting, laxatives, or excessive exercise
- have weight changes, fatigue, thirst/urination changes, new medications, or mood/anxiety symptoms
- think about food so much that it interferes with work, relationships, or daily life.
This can overlap with binge-eating disorder, but cravings alone do not establish that diagnosis. CBT is a first-line treatment when recurrent binge eating is present, and can reduce binge eating and related distress. Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry, p. 1449. Medication for binge eating, when appropriate, is clinician-directed rather than an over-the-counter appetite suppressant.
Recent systematic reviews identified in PubMed address food environment and eating-disorder/obesity treatment, but they do not support a universal daily supplement for cravings (PMIDs: 41274516, 41651392).