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Eating fast is key to obesity

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Marie Claire health news: Woman eating a burger

Wolfing down meals is not only bad for your digestion, but increases the risk of being overweight, reports a new Japanese study.

Not only is it what you eat but the way you eat it, say researchers, who claim scoffing our meals nearly doubles the risk of being overweight. Eating too quickly and until we're bursting is a key cause of the growing obesity epidemic.

Scientists at Osaka University in Japan studied the eating patterns of 3,000 volunteers and analysed the relationship between eating speed, feeling full and being overweight.

Nearly half of those quizzed admitted they were inclined to eat too quickly. Men who wolfed their food, compared to those who ate more slowly, were 84% more likely to be overweight, while women were over twice as likely.

The combination of eating too fast and eating until they felt full led to being at least three times more likely to be overweight.

University of Nottingham professor, Ian McDonald, explained there were a handful of reasons why eating fast effected weight. He said it could hamper a signalling system which tells the brain to stop eating as the stomach is swelling.

'If you eat quickly you basically fill your stomach before your gastric feedback has a chance to start developing – you can overfill the thing.'

He added: 'The old wives' tale about chewing everything 20 times might be true - if you did take a bit more time eating, it could have an impact.'

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Wednesday 22 October 2008

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This is a true "old wives tale". I have read this in many articles and for years I am a very slow eater/and a 20 times chewer and stay slim and healthy. I always notice an obese person's way of eating, and 95% of them are fast eaters/chewers. I've read that mixing food with saliva before swallowing does the trick.
Comment by Eli Robertson on October 22 16:03