New research suggests that the speed at which a person eats may have a significant impact upon their bodyweight.
Researchers from Osaka University in Japan examined the eating habits of 3,287 people. Results showed that people who ate quickly and did not stop eating until they were full were three times more likely to be overweight than slow eaters who stopped eating before they were full. These findings remained even after adjustment for age, total energy intake, and “other potential confounding factors.”
The researchers concluded: “Eating until full and eating quickly were associated with being overweight in Japanese men and women, and the combination of the two eating behaviors may have a substantial impact on being overweight.”
Maruyama K, Sato S, Ohira T, et al. The joint impact on being overweight of self reported behaviours of eating quickly and eating until full: cross sectional survey. BMJ 2008;337:a2002
