The study team split 70 normal-weight, overweight, and obese people into two groups and asked each to eat a meal either rapidly or slowly. The researchers then repeated the experiment while reversing the meal speeds among the same group of study participants. The result: When the normal-weight people ate slowly, they consumed an average of 88 fewer calories—or roughly 10% less food—than when they ate quickly. The overweight or obese people ate roughly 8% less food. Both groups also reported feeling fuller 60 minutes after they’d eaten slowly compared to quickly. “It’s possible that slower eating allows people to better sense their feelings of hunger and fullness,” explains study coauthor Meena Shah, PhD. Past studies have found eating from heavier plates or utensils—or taking smaller and more numerous bites—tricks your brain into believing it has had more food. In the same way, eating slowly leads to more thorough chewing, which may increase your sense of satiety even though you’re eating less, the study suggests. The researchers also found people drink more water when they slow down at meal time, and that extra H20 could replace the food that otherwise would have filled your stomach, Dr. Shah adds. According to the study, the diners finished in an average of 9 minutes when eating quickly compared to about 22 minutes when they slowed down. Try to emulate the slow diners by taking smaller bites, chewing your food thoroughly, and pausing to set down your fork or to take a drink of water between bites. Do that, and you’ll consume fewer calories and feel full longer, Dr. Shah says. More from Prevention: 16 Simple Ways to Eat Less
