Forget obsessing about what you eat and take a good hard look at the way you eat!
Japanese scientists have discovered that eating your food quickly makes you three times more likely to be overweight. The research conducted by Professor Hiroyasu Iso and colleagues from Osaka University in Japan, showed that it’s not just eating quickly that has an effect — it’s the modern manner of eating until you’re full that also plays a role in the obesity epidemic.
Researchers believe that it’s this combination of eating fast and until full that may override signals in the brain which would normally encourage more self control when it comes to eating patterns. And, according to the British Medical Journal Online First, the demise of the family meal and it’s replacement with fast food and larger portions are to blame.
Of the 3,200 Japanese men and women surveyed, half the men and 58 per cent of the women said they normally ate until they were full and just under half the men and a third of women said they ate quickly. A higher body mass index (BMI) was recorded in this group than those who didn’t eat too quickly or until full.
Why you should slow down at the dinner table…
It takes around 20 minutes for the stomach to register being full so taking a break in between courses is advised
Experts suggest chewing a mouthful 20 times before swallowing saying that the longer you chew, the fuller you’ll feel
Chewing breaks down food molecules and saliva begins the digestion process
Being preoccupied with TV or reading while you’re eating prevents the signals about the food reaching your brain
Don’t talk and eat at the same time as swallowing air impedes digestion
Professor Iso also said, “If you eat slowly then there is some feedback from the brain that this is enough, and this helps stop you eating before you are full”.
We’ve always been told to chew our food properly, eat slowly and not to watch TV at the dinner table — maybe we should start to listen!
YOUR SAY: Do you eat too quickly and always until you’re full? Do you think this might impact your weight? Tell us your thoughts below…
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