Does Eating Fast Make You Gain More Weight?
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A lot of people eat their food fast and mindlessly.
It’s a very bad habit that can lead to overeating, weight gain, and obesity.
This article explains why eating too fast may be one of the leading drivers of weight gain.
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Can make you overeat
In today’s busy world, people often eat quickly and in a hurry.
However, your brain needs time to process signals of fullness (1Trusted Source).
In fact, it may take up to 20 minutes for your brain to realize that you’re full.
When you eat fast, it’s much easier to eat a lot more food than your body really needs. Over time, excess calorie intake can lead to weight gain.
One study in children found that 60% of those who ate rapidly also overate. The fast eaters were also 3 times more likely to be overweight (2Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
It takes your brain around 20 minutes to realize that you have had enough to eat. Being a fast eater is associated with overeating.
Linked to an increased risk of obesity
Obesity is one of the biggest health problems worldwide. It’s a complex disease that is not simply caused by poor diet, inactivity, or lack of willpower.
In fact, complicated environmental and lifestyle factors are at play (3Trusted Source).
For example, fast eating has been studied as a potential risk factor for becoming overweight and obese (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
One recent review of 23 studies found that fast eaters were approximately twice as likely to be obese, compared with slow eaters (9Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Fast eating is associated with excess body weight. In fact, fast eaters may be up to twice as likely to be obese compared with those who eat slowly.
May lead to other health problems
Eating fast not only increases your risk of becoming overweight and obese, it’s also linked to other health problems, including:
Insulin resistance. Eating too quickly is linked to a higher risk of insulin resistance, which is characterized by high blood sugar and insulin levels. It’s a hallmark of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).
Type 2 diabetes. Eating fast has been associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. One study found that fast eaters were 2.5 times more likely to get the disease compared with those who ate slowly (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).
Metabolic syndrome. Rapid eating and the associated weight gain may increase your risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that may raise your risk of diabetes and heart disease (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).
Poor digestion. Fast eaters commonly report poor digestion as a consequence of eating too quickly. They may take larger bites and chew their food less, which may affect digestion.
Lower satisfaction. Fast eaters tend to rate their meals as less pleasant, compared with slow eaters. This may not be a health problem per se but is important nonetheless (17Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Eating fast may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. It may also lead to poor digestion and decreased your enjoyment of food.
How to slow down your eatingEating more slowly may provide various health benefits.
It may increase your levels of fullness hormones, help you feel more satisfied, and decrease your calorie intake (1Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
It also improves your digestion and enjoyment of food.
If you want to eat slower, here are a few techniques you can try:
Don’t eat in front of screens. Eating in front of a TV, computer, smartphone, or other device may cause you to eat fast and mindlessly. It can also make you lose track of how much you have eaten.
Put your fork down between each mouthful. This helps you slow down and enjoy each bite more.
Don’t get too hungry. Avoid becoming extremely hungry between meals. It can make you eat too fast and make poor food decisions. Keep some healthy snacks around to prevent this from happening.
Sip on water. Drinking water throughout your meal will help you feel full and encourage you to slow down.
Chew thoroughly. Chew your food more often before swallowing. It may help to count how many times you chew each bite. Aim to chew each mouthful of food 20–30 times.
Eat foods rich in fiber. High-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables are not only very filling but also take quite a long time to chew.
Take small bites. Taking smaller bites may help you slow down your eating pace and make your meal last longer.
Eat mindfully. Mindful eating is a powerful tool. The fundamental principle behind it is to pay attention to the food you’re eating. Some of the exercises above are practiced in mindful eating.
Like all new habits, eating slowly takes practice and patience. Start with just one of the tips above and develop the habit from there.
SUMMARY
Slow eating techniques include chewing more, drinking plenty of water, eating without distractions, and avoiding extreme hunger.
The bottom line
Eating quickly is a common practice in today’s fast-paced world.
While it can save you a few minutes during mealtimes, it also increases your risk of various health problems, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.
If weight loss is your goal, eating fast may be hindering your progress.
Eating more slowly, on the other hand, can provide powerful benefits — so slow down and savor each and every bite.
Does Eating Slowly Help You Lose Weight?
Many people eat their food quickly and carelessly.
This may lead to weight gain and other health issues.
Eating slowly may be a much smarter approach, as it could provide a number of benefits.
This article explores the benefits of eating slowly.
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Eating too fast can cause weight gain
People who eat quickly tend to weigh more than those who don’t (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
In fact, fast eaters are up to 115% more likely than slower eaters to be obese (3Trusted Source).
They also tend to gain weight over time, which may be partially due to eating too fast.
In one study in over 4,000 middle-aged adults, those who said they ate very fast tended to be heavier and had gained the most body weight since age 20 (5Trusted Source).
Another study examined weight change in 529 men over 8 years. Those who reported being fast eaters gained more than twice as much weight as self-described slow or medium-paced eaters (6Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Studies show that people who eat quickly tend to be heavier and gain more weight over time, compared with slower eaters.
Eating slowly helps you eat less
Your appetite and calorie intake is largely controlled by hormones.
After a meal, your gut suppresses a hormone called ghrelin, which controls hunger, while also releasing fullness hormones (7Trusted Source).
These hormones tell your brain that you have eaten, reducing appetite, making you feel full, and helping you stop eating.
This process takes about 20 minutes, so slowing down gives your brain the time it needs to receive these signals.
Eating slowly can increase fullness hormones
Eating too quickly often leads to overeating, as your brain doesn’t have enough time to receive fullness signals.
Additionally, eating slowly has been shown to decrease the amount of food consumed during the meal due to an increase in fullness hormones (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
In one study, 17 healthy people with a normal weight ate 10.5 ounces (300 grams) of ice cream on 2 occasions. During the first, they at the ice cream within 5 minutes, but during the second, they took 30 minutes (8Trusted Source).
Their reported fullness and levels of fullness hormones increased significantly more after eating the ice cream slowly.
In a follow-up study, this time in people with diabetes, as well as overweight or obesity, slowing down did not increase fullness hormones. However, it significantly increased rates of fullness (11Trusted Source).
Other research shows that young people with obesity experience higher levels of fullness hormones when they eat slowly (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
Eating slowly can decrease calorie intake
In one study, people with normal weight or overweight ate at different paces. Both groups ate fewer calories during the slowest-paced meal, although the difference was only statistically significant in the normal-weight group (10Trusted Source).
All participants also felt fuller for longer after eating more slowly, reporting less hunger 60 minutes after the slow meal than after the fast one.
This spontaneous reduction in calorie intake should lead to weight loss over time.
SUMMARY
Eating slowly increases the levels of gut hormones responsible for feeling full, which may help reduce calorie intake.
Eating slowly promotes thorough chewing
To eat slowly, you need to chew your food thoroughly before swallowing.
This can help you reduce calorie intake and lose weight.
In fact, several studies have found that people with weight problems tend to chew their food less than people with normal weight do (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
In one study, researchers asked 45 people to eat pizza until full while chewing at different rates — normal, 1.5 times more than normal, and twice the normal rate (16Trusted Source).
The average calorie intake decreased by 9.5% when people chewed 1.5 times more than normal and nearly 15% when they chewed twice as much as usual.
Another small study noted that calorie intake decreased and fullness hormone levels increased when the number of chews per bite increased from 15 to 40 (17Trusted Source).
However, there may be a limit to how much chewing you can do and still enjoy a meal. One study found that chewing each bite for 30 seconds reduced snacking later on — but also significantly reduced meal enjoyment (18Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Chewing food thoroughly slows down your eating pace and reduces the number of calories you take in, which can lead to weight loss.
Other benefits of eating slowly
Eating slowly may also improve your health and quality of life in other ways, including:
increasing your enjoyment of food
improving your digestion
helping you better absorb nutrients
making you feel calmer and more in control
reducing your levels of stress
SUMMARY
There are many other good reasons to eat more slowly, including improved digestion and reduced stress.
How to slow down and lose weight
Here’s some advice to help you start eating more slowly:
Avoid extreme hunger. It’s hard to eat slowly when you’re very hungry. To prevent extreme hunger, keep some healthy snacks on hand.
Chew more. Count how many times you normally chew a bite of food, then double that amount. You may be surprised at how little you usually chew.
Set your utensils down. Putting down your fork between bites of food will help you eat more slowly and savor each bite.
Eat foods that need chewing. Focus on fibrous foods that require a lot of chewing, such as vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Fiber can also promote weight loss.
Drink water. Make sure to drink plenty of water or other zero-calorie beverages with your meals.
Use a timer. Set your kitchen timer for 20 minutes and do your best not to finish before the buzzer goes off. Aim for a slow, consistent pace throughout the meal.
Turn off your screens. Try to avoid electronic devices, such as television and smartphones, while eating.
Take deep breaths. If you begin to eat too quickly, take some deep breaths. This will help you refocus and get back on track.
Practice mindful eating. Mindful eating techniques help you pay more attention to what you’re eating and gain control of your cravings.
Be patient. Change takes time, as it takes about 66 days for a new behavior to become a habit (19Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
With practice and a few tried-and-true techniques, eating slowly will become easier and more sustainable.
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The bottom line
Eating too quickly can lead to weight gain and decreased enjoyment of food.
However, slowing down can increase fullness and promote weight loss. It also provides other health benefits.
If you minimize your screen time, chew more, and focus on high-fiber foods, you’ll be well on your way to slower eating.