I know I'm guilty of it: I'm short on time, my 2-year old is pulling at my leg to go outside and play, so I'll scarf down my lunch as fast as I can chew instead of taking the time to sit down and eat at a reasonable pace. But did you know that how you eat your food could be just as important as how much you're eating? A new study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who eat quickly until full are three times more likely to be overweight. Researchers asked 3,000 Japanese volunteers aged 30 to 69 about their eating. About half of the men and a little more than half of the women said they ate until full. About 45 percent of the men and 36 percent of the women said they ate quickly. Those who said they ate until full and ate quickly were three times more likely to be overweight than people in the "not eating until full and not eating quickly" group. According to the study, until recently, most adults didn't have the opportunity to consume enough energy to enable the body to store fat. But eating behaviors have changed due to increased availability of inexpensive food in larger portions, fast food, fewer families eating together, and eating while distracted (such as watching TV). Do you notice that it's easier to overeat if you eat too quickly? I find that when I eat too fast, after I'm done I realize I might not have needed so much. I also find that I feel more comfortable afterward if I slow down, but sometimes that's hard when you get caught in the rush of the day. Do you try to make mealtime as distraction-free as possible, both for you and your family? What kinds of things have helped you do that? |
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