Does The Speed At Which You Eat Affect Your Weight?

Many people trying to lose weight are beginning to look for ways to reduce the number of calories they consume. However, in many cases they only focus on the things they eat and not how they eat. Do you know how the speed at which you eat affects your weight?

A number of studies show that the rate at which you eat is related to weight gain. One possible reason for this could be that eating slowly encourages you to feel full sooner.

Eating more slowly also seems to increase the amount of water you drink and stomach expansion. This affects the biological process that determines how much food a person consumes. In this article you can read more about how the speed at which you eat affects your weight.

satiety hormones

Eating too quickly prevents the proper functioning of the biological mechanism that lets you know when you are full. This information is regulated by a number of hormones, the most important of which is cholecystokinin. When you eat, a process begins that informs the brain that you are already “full”.

By being aware of this feeling, you can stop eating foods you don’t need because your nutritional needs are already being met. However, this mechanism takes time to activate. So if you eat too fast, you may have eaten more food than necessary.

Eating too quickly has been shown to reduce the segregation of hormones that indicate satiety. The hormonal response that reports satiety to the brain is slow, so eating slowly helps to interpret satiety at the right time.

Exploring the relationship between eating speed and weight gain

Several studies have shown that eating more slowly can significantly reduce the amount of food you eat. Such a study was conducted among a small group of participants that included people of normal weight and those who were obese or overweight.

All participants were given the opportunity to eat in a relaxed manner and also under conditions that allowed them to do it slowly. On another occasion, they were asked to eat quickly.

The results showed that all participants ate less food when they ate slowly and were less hungry later than when they ate faster.

How can you reduce the speed at which you eat?

Avoid eating while distracted, because that way you’re not preoccupied with eating, which will automatically make you eat faster. Any meals eaten in less than 20 minutes are considered too fast, no matter what you eat.

Here are some tips to help you eat more slowly:

• The place where you eat is important. It should be quiet and invite you to eat in a relaxed way. Experts advise not watching television while eating, as it can distract your attention and make you unconsciously eat faster.
• You should chew 20 to 25 times per bite. Try to identify the ingredients you eat.
• Use cutlery, even for pizza or sandwiches.
• Eating with other people helps you to socialize and also to eat more slowly.

Finally, remember that you need to adopt good eating habits to stay healthy. Not only the type of food you eat plays a decisive role, but also your routines and habits, such as the speed at which you eat.