Novo’s Wegovy® was associated with a reduction in food noise according to real-world studies at ObesityWeek® 2026

• Statistically significant reductions in food noise scores from baseline were observed in adults taking semaglutide injection within the first month of initiation and through six months in the SIGNAL study¹
• Oral semaglutide was associated with about a 25% reduction from baseline in reported average food noise scores over three months in the OCTANE study. Most adults (86.4%) reported at least one treatment improvement²
• Food noise is an emerging area of research in obesity care, with real-world studies suggesting semaglutide may provide an additional patient-centered benefit beyond weight loss^1-3

PLAINSBORO, N.J. and BAGSVÆRD, Denmark, Nov. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Novo Nordisk presented real-world findings from the SIGNAL and OCTANE studies at ObesityWeek^® 2026, looking at how food noise scores changed for adults with overweight or obesity taking Wegovy^® injection or Wegovy^® pill.^1,2 Both retrospective cohort analyses used de-identified patient data from the Ro telehealth platform and a validated seven-item questionnaire to assess food noise, defined as persistent, intrusive and unwanted thoughts about food.³

“Patients at our center often describe persistent and intrusive thoughts about food, and that managing those thoughts can take a toll on their day-to-day lives,” said Louis J. Aronne, MD, Director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, and co-author of the studies. “The SIGNAL and OCTANE findings showed that semaglutide injection and oral semaglutide were associated with early reductions in food noise in real-world studies. Looking forward, additional research can help clarify the clinical relevance of such food noise and its place in everyday obesity care.”

The two presented studies examined changes in patient-reported food noise scores over time among adults with overweight or obesity taking semaglutide in a real-world telehealth setting, using the validated seven-item Ro Allison Indiana Dhurandhar–Food Noise Inventory (RAID-FN) questionnaire, which measures persistent, intrusive and unwanted thoughts about food.^1,2

In the SIGNAL study, 26,213 treatment-naïve adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition initiating semaglutide injection were followed for up to six months in a real-world telehealth setting.¹ The adjusted mean baseline RAID-FN total score was 2.72 (95% CI: 2.71, 2.74).¹ Mean food noise scores decreased within the first month, with an adjusted mean change from baseline of -0.42 points (95% CI: -0.43, -0.41).¹ The greatest reductions were observed during the first three months, and reductions were maintained through month 6, when the adjusted mean change from baseline was -0.72 points (95% CI: -0.74 to -0.70).¹ 

In the OCTANE study, adults initiating oral semaglutide reported a statistically significant reduction in average food noise scores over 3 months, reducing by ~25% from baseline (total RAID-FN score 2.8 to 2.1 (p<0.001)).² At program entry, participants’ most commonly reported treatment goals were to lose weight (98.0%), improve general physical health (76.5%), and increase confidence in their appearance (54.5%).¹ Participants also commonly reported weight-related impacts on confidence, clothing, sense of self and energy.² At three months, 86.4% reported at least one treatment improvement, including better-fitting clothing (67.5%), healthier eating (51.6%), more physical activity (26.8%), more energy during the day (26.6%), improved mood (21.7%), fewer alcohol cravings (18.8%) and better sleep (18.6%).² 

“As GLP-1 medicines, like Wegovy^®, become more widely used and discussed, many people have asked about their impact on food noise as they think about treatment,” said Michelle Skinner Moore, PharmD, MBA, interim head of clinical development, medical and regulatory affairs and vice president, medical affairs at Novo. “While food noise remains an emerging area of research, at Novo, we are working to advance the science of obesity and broaden understanding beyond changes on the scale. These real-world findings from the SIGNAL and OCTANE studies, conducted in partnership with Ro, contribute to our efforts to better understand the lived experiences of people with obesity and the outcomes they say matter to them.”

Real-world evidence can complement randomized controlled trials, which are the gold standard for evaluating a treatment’s safety and efficacy.⁴ Real-world studies evaluate associations and cannot determine causality.⁵ Limitations of the SIGNAL and OCTANE studies include: variable timing and completeness of data being collected during routine telehealth care; potential bias associated with self-reported data; possible selection bias resulting from the treatment-persistence requirement; and limited generalizability to the broader population.^1,2

It is important to note that semaglutide injection 2.4 mg and semaglutide tablets 25 mg contain a Boxed Warning for possible thyroid tumors, including cancer, and should not be used in those with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). The most common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, changes in skin sensations, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and hair loss.⁶

About SIGNAL

SIGNAL is a retrospective cohort study of de-identified data from a random sample of 26,213 treatment-naïve adults with overweight or obesity who initiated semaglutide injection through the Ro telehealth platform between May 20, 2025, and June 8, 2026.¹ Eligible participants had a BMI of at least 30.0 kg/m¹, or a BMI of 27.0–29.9 kg/m² with at least one obesity-related complication (CVD, lipid disorder, hypertension or OSA), and had no history of diabetes, bariatric surgery, eating disorder, or prior use of GLP-1 based medicines or other weight-management medications.¹ Participants were included if they reported RAID-FN and weight data at baseline and at least one monthly timepoint and participants remained persistent on treatment, defined as no treatment gap longer than 30 days.¹ Food noise scores and weight were assessed at baseline and over six months of follow-up.¹ Food noise was measured using the validated RAID-FN questionnaire which consists of 7 items rated from 1 to 5, with 5 indicating the highest food noise intensity.¹ Longitudinal changes were evaluated over 6 months using a linear mixed-effects model with repeated measures, which adjusted for baseline total score, demographics, and clinical characteristics.¹ 

About OCTANE

OCTANE is a retrospective cohort analysis of de-identified data from the Ro telehealth platform evaluating characteristics, outcomes, food noise, and patient experience in adults initiating oral semaglutide in the real-world. This analysis focused on food noise and patient experience and included 7,669 adults with overweight or obesity, with or without prior weight-management treatment experience, who initiated oral semaglutide between January 5 and February 7, 2026.² Eligible participants had a BMI of at least 30.0 kg/m¹, or a BMI of 27.0–29.9 kg/m² with at least one obesity-related complication (CVD, lipid disorder, hypertension, and OSA), and had no history of diabetes, bariatric surgery, or eating disorders. Participants remained persistent on treatment for three months, defined as no treatment gap longer than 30 days.² Food noise change at baseline and 3 months were reported by 6,180 patients and treatment improvement at 3 months was reported by 6,638 patients.² Food noise was assessed from baseline to three months using the validated seven-item RAID-FN questionnaire; patient-reported treatment goals, weight-related impacts and perceived improvements were also collected.²

About obesity

Obesity is a serious, chronic, progressive, and complex disease that requires long-term management.^7-9 One key misunderstanding is that this is a disease of just a lack of willpower, when in fact there is underlying biology that may impede people with obesity from losing weight and keeping it off.^7,9 Obesity is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, social determinants of health, and the environment.^10,11

Novo is the global healthcare company that believes lasting health starts now. For over a century, we’ve combined leading scientific expertise with a deep understanding of people’s lives. We develop treatments and support that help millions of people make progress they can see, feel, and sustain now and in the future. Every day, over 66,500 employees around the world advance our purpose to drive change for lasting health. Through our partnerships, programs, and investments, we’re working to prevent disease, expand access to treatments and reduce our environmental impact to help even more people live healthier lives. In the United States, Novo has a 40-year presence, is headquartered in New Jersey and employs approximately 10,000 people. For more information, visit novonordisk.com and novonordisk-us.com and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, X and YouTube.

Wegovy®, Novo Nordisk®, NOVO, and the Apis Bull Logo are trademarks owned by Novo Nordisk A/S.

© 2026 Novo Nordisk All rights reserved. US26SEMO01953 November 2026

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References

1. Divino V, Broffman L, Smith B, et al. Changes in Food Noise and Weight With Semaglutide Injection for Weight Management via Telehealth. Presented at: ObesityWeek^® 2026; November 14-17, 2026; Washington, DC.
2. Divino V, Smith B, Wilson L, et al. 3-Month Food Noise and Patient-Reported Outcomes With Oral Semaglutide for Overweight or Obesity. Presented at: ObesityWeek^® 2026; November 14-17, 2026; Washington, DC.
3. Dhurandhar EJ, Maki KC, Dhurandhar NV, et al. Food noise: definition, measurement, and future research directions. Nutr Diabetes. 2025 Jul 8;15(1):30. doi: 10.1038/s41387-025-00382-x
4. Blonde L, Khunti K, Harris SB, et al. Interpretation and impact of real-world clinical data for the practicing clinician. Adv Ther. 2018;35:1763–1774.
5. Sheldrick RC. Randomized trials vs real-world evidence: how can both inform decision-making? JAMA. 2023;329(16):1352–1353. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.4855
6. Wegovy^® (semaglutide) Prescribing Information. Plainsboro, NJ: Novo Nordisk Inc.
7. Kaplan LM, Golden A, Jinnett K, et al. Perceptions of barriers to effective obesity care: results from the national ACTION study. Obesity. 2018;26(1):61–69.
8. Bray GA, Kim KK, Wilding JPH; World Obesity Federation. Obesity: a chronic relapsing progressive disease process. A position statement of the World Obesity Federation. Obes Rev. 2017;18(7):715–723.
9. Garvey WT, Mechanick JI, Brett EM, et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for medical care of patients with obesity. Endocr Pract. 2016;22 (Suppl 3):1–203.
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult obesity facts. Accessed November 2026. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult-obesity-facts/index.html. 
11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk Factors for Obesity. Accessed November 2026. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/risk-factors/risk-factors.html.

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