Eating slowly protects against obesity
As early as 2018, a large Japanese study confirmed that eating quickly makes you fat. More recent studies show that men in particular can influence their weight by the speed at which they eat.
Researchers at Kyushu University analyzed the eating habits of almost 60,000 Japanese diabetics. Over 30,000 of them said they ate at a normal pace, about 22,000 devoured their meals and only about 4,000 enjoyed their food slowly. It was noticeable that there were fewer overweight people in the slow-eater group and their waists were, on average, slimmer. The scientists suspect that fast eaters "eat beyond hunger," while slow eaters use the natural feeling of satiety that sets in after about 20 minutes and thus consume fewer calories.
A study in spring 2019 showed that the speed of eating affects the body weight of men and women differently. Men benefit from eating slowly by reducing their risk of obesity, while eating quickly increases the risk. In women, eating quickly had a negative effect on their figure, but eating slowly did not reduce the risk of obesity.
Scientists believe that the speed of eating is a key to weight control. Fast-paced eating habits such as "food to go" and eating in front of the computer are increasing, while eating together is becoming less common. Children should learn to eat slowly, consciously and healthily from an early age and know that it is okay to leave the food when they are full.