Can Eating Fast Make You Fat? Slow Down To Slim down!

I have heard over the years to not eat so fast and not eat until I am completely full or in the case of me and chocolate, not eat until I am going to be sick ( I still do it every time which is why I CANNOT keep chocolate in the house). I do try to keep this in mind but sometimes find myself eating and eating and eating until I am so full that I do not want to move (why, why, why?). I found this information at the Daily Mail on how eating fast really can contribute to weight gain so I suppose that I should reevaluate my eating habits to help me slim down when I need it and feel better. Do you eat until full and eat fast?

Why Eating Until Full and Like You Are In A Race May Not Be Your Best Idea

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal Online first blames the couch potato lifestyles of fast food, larger portions, TV dinners and the demise of family mealtimes for contributing to the problem. Professor Hiroyasu Iso and colleagues from Osaka University, Japan, carried out a study involving 3,200 Japanese men and women aged 30-69 years between 2003 and 2206. Participants were sent a diet history questionnaire. Half of the men and 58 percent of the women said they normally ate until they were full. A third of the women and just under half of the men said they ate quickly. Interestingly enough, the group of participants who said that they ate until full and ate quickly had a higher body mass index (the scoring system that measures obesity levels) as well as higher total energy intake than those who did not eat until full and did not eat quickly. The men and women in this group were three times more likely to be overweight than those who did not eat this way.

Professor Iso said the combination had a “supra-additive” effect on the risk of being overweight-more than would be expected if each eating habit was examined in isolation. “If you eat slowly then there is some feedback from the brain that this is enough, and this helps you to stop eating before you are full”. It is speculation at the moment but it is worth pursuing and fits with modern lifestyles”. The article went on to further say that, “ These kind of studies are very helpful because they’re not about genetic causes of obesity, which people feel they cannot do anything about, but human behavior”, according to Dr. David Haslam, GP and clinical director for the National Obesity Forum.

Hmmmmmm…..definitely going to slow down and not eat until I am so full that all I do is complain how full I am.

P.S. To all my loyal entrecard droppers -tried to drop last night but entrecard said they were doing an update or something for at least 3 hours so I could not get it done. Will be dropping tonight-sorry, sorry, sorry. I feel so behind and rude!

35 comments:

  1. it's true. when i eat slowly, my brain really can clue me in to when i am actually satisfied. instead of trying to play catch-up with the amount of food i am putting in my mouth when eating quickly.

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  2. Eating fast can definitely make you eat more. You just seem to go on autopilot sometimes when you eat, especially when you're hungry. That's where the expression "wolfing down food" comes to mind!
    And racing... lol My brother and I used to race to finish all the food on our plate first at the dinner table so we could get the choicest seconds or last piece of meat! We'd also compete to see who could eat more! LOL
    Well, at least we outgrew those crazy habits! Thank God! :D

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  3. Great information! I always believed that if you eat too fast it could lead to obesity. I'm a slow eater and always have been. But I've seen people just scarf down a large meal in less than 10 minutes. I don't know how they do it! Thank you for sharing this information!

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  4. Six kids in my family growing up; if you wanted seconds, you ate fast.

    Today it's a lifelong habit that is soooo hard to control. I have gone to slightly smaller portions and learned to sit and wait a few minutes before deciding whether or not to have seconds. Maybe that gives my brain time to catch up with my mouth (eating isn't the only time my mouth gets ahead of my brain!) and stomach. Often I'll pass on the seconds or get a little bit less than I would have if I would not have waited.

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  5. Most of the people I know eat incredibly fast. I was a slow eater since childhood, and maybe that's a good thing. I would imagine eating like you're in a race puts unnecessary strain on your stomach.

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  6. Heidi,


    Wow great post. I needed this. I eat really fast. Then I feel terrible afterward. You would think I would learn a less but I never do. 3 times as likely! I think that will inspire me to eat slower.

    Jess

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  7. Wow, this article has my name written all over it. I eat way too fast and probably way too much. Of course, I have always been thin and I didn't ever have to worry about, but now I am 45 and my body doesn't react the same way it did 10 years ago. Okay, note to self...EAT MORE SLOWLY!

    Thanks for this helpful article, Heidi.

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  8. Everything in America is about being fast...the one to finish first. I guess this spilled over into our eating habits as well.

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  9. Thanks for this post. Mom needs to remember to sit down and enjoy the food like we do. She's always in a rush gulping things down fast.

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  10. I tend to eat fast....I think I need to pay attention at my next meal...thanks for the info!

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  11. I need to slow down and enjoy my meals more for sure. Time is so limited that I tend to rush through every thing these days but with this reminder, I'll do my best to eat more slowly.

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  12. I've always been a slow eater so I'm glad that it seems the way to go. Of course when it comes to chocolate, I speed up way too much :-) Thanks for the tips.

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  13. I definitely eat too fast with certain foods (like junky type foods) that just make you want to gobble them down. I think it's a great idea to enjoy your food anyway :)

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  14. This is so true. I hate being in a hurry when we're eating. Not only do I end up eating more than I should, but I also don't feel too well afterwards. Great advice.

    Don't worry about EC, looks like many of us got caught by the outage.

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  15. Interesting thought Heidi...I do think eating fast can contribute to being over weight for some people...by eating far more food than is necessary to feel as though you are finished.

    I'm a slow eater, always have been...others in my family eat very fast...

    Cheers

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  16. This is a very bad very bad habit I picked up by being a bartender and a waitress when I was younger.

    I have to constantly remind myself to slow down. But it is a hard habit to break.

    I am back in the blogging world again and slowly finding everyone all again.

    Also trying to get my EC dropping back on track.

    Now I am here and you are added into my new EC toolbar!!

    And I have the same problem with chocolate. Oh boy it's my hardest battle to wage.

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  17. I remember my mom telling us when we were kids to chew every bite 20 times. My husband has read this recently, and it really does work; you'll tend to feel full sooner because the chewing satisfies your brain, and you'll eat less. Great article.

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  18. There are things that I do not keep in the house either . . . . potato chips. . . chocolate isn't an all the time thing. . . .I think that we are conditioned to eat fast. . . in my work area most people have to eat fast because they have so much to do. . . . I struggle with enjoying it. . . meals with my Nonna and Nonno were always relaxed with lots of talking . . . wine also helped. . . I so wished for the mentality of my forefathers.
    ciao

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  19. My mother always used to tell us to "slow down" when eating.

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  20. This article is so true. If you eat fast, you miss the stop sign your body naturally gives you. I really enjoyed reading this!

    Scott

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  21. hmm eating too fast is definitely a problem that i have. Thanks for the tips heidi.

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  22. I have always been the last person to finish my plate and so I always notice that the majority of people eat too fast. They tend to be ready for more food sooner as well.

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  23. i struggle about this for a long time since i was used to eating fast, and i must really remind myself to slow down even these days so that i won't eat as fast as I was used to, I think i've improved a bit though :(

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  24. Hi Heidi, I just wanted to tell you that as soon as I started eating my lunch today I thought about this post of yours and I told myself to take it easy and eat slower. Thanks again for posting this! :-)

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  25. I totally agree. Anyway, why eat so fast? We are supposed to eat slowly to enjoy our food. I even make it a point to relax and calm myself down before taking in the food! It's good for my digestion so that I can be assured that my body will be able to utilise all those nutrients! Otherwise, it'll be go all the way in, then all the way out later. Where's the fun in that? HAha!

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  26. Oh, I always eat fast at lunch,because I always want back to work faster. :(

    Okay, I will slow down. Thanks heidi!

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  27. Great tips, Heidi. I tend to scarf my meals down, but most men do. The best advice: Push the plate away.

    peace,
    mike
    livelife365

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  28. most of my colleague are complaining about me by eating so fast...they were wondering if i chew or not but that's my method of eating heheheh

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  29. The worst feeling in the world is being too full... I always try and eat slow. That's another reason to eat more frequently and smaller meals - you don't get so hungry so you don't want to pig out when you do eat! I think that's why sometimes people eat so fast.

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  30. Eating fast can jeopardize one's chances of losing weight. I try my best to chew properly and take my time to eat at normal phase so I can digest my meal properly too. Thanks for the tips!!!

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  31. wonderful web site

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  32. Willy likes your blog. Sounds healthy. Willy needs to get on a health kick. Older and slower is catching up with Willy.

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  33. Because you will be restricting your consumption of whole grain products which are high in fiber and vitamins, you’ll need to find the nutrients somewhere else. Natural foods, especially raw or lightly steamed fruits and vegetables, even small amounts have significant amounts of minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients.

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  34. I just finished a dinner of snow crab. Actually, I fed my five year old daughter first. I cracked the crab and fed her and every eight bites I took a bite. When she was done (took about thirty minutes) I went and heated up about half a pound I took two bites and felt totally full....then I googled "eating slower makes you feel full faster" and this site came up. I wonder if eating this way, with a full five minutes between each bite and drinking plenty of water might be beneficial.

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  35. My family eat really fast but I've become a slow eater a few years ago . they relly look like pigs on the table

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