How Does Eating Slowly Help Weight Loss?

Many of us eat quickly and inattentively, but eating slowly may be wiser. Research shows it increases fullness and helps weight loss.

This article explains benefits of slow eating for general health and weight loss .

Eating too quickly may cause weight gain

Self-described fast eaters weigh more than slow eaters.

Fast eaters have approximately 115% greater obesity risk than slow eaters.

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A study asked over 4.000 middle-aged women and men how quickly they ate. Very fast eaters tended to gain more weight, particularly during the period up to age 20.

Another study followed 529 men for over 8 years. “Fast” eaters gained twice as much weight as “slow” or “moderate” eaters.

Eating slowly helps you consume less

Appetite and calorie intake are largely hormone-controlled.

After eating, the stomach normally suppresses the hunger-controlling ghrelin hormoneand releases antihunger cholecystokinin, peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1.

These signal the brain that you have eaten and digestion is occurring, reducing appetite and providing fullness , helping stop eating. Interestingly, this takes around 20 minutes ; slowing down gives the brain time to receive these signals.

Slow eating may increase fullness hormones

Fast eating leaves insufficient time for fullness signals and often causes overeating. Slow eating reduces intake, partly through increased antihunger hormones when not rushing.

In a study, 17 healthy normal-weight people ate 300 ml of ice cream in two situations: within 5 minutes or slowly over up to 30 minutes.

Fullness hormone levels rose significantly with slow eating, and participants reported feeling full.

In overweight and obese diabetes patients, duration and slow eating did not increase these hormones, but fullness and satisfaction increased significantly.

Other research found higher fullness hormones in obese young people aged 9-17 when eating slowly.

Slow eating may reduce calorie intake

A study observed normal-weight and overweight people eating lunch at different speeds. Both consumed fewer calories slowly, with a greater difference in normal-weight participants. Everyone felt fuller and less hungry 60 minutes after the slow meal.

Fewer calories will produce weight loss over time

Slow eating begins with chewing. Chew thoroughly before swallowing; this can reduce calories and help weight loss.

Some research indeed found people with weight problems chewed less than normal-weight people.

A study let 45 people eat pizza until full with normal chewing, 1.5 times normal or twice normal. Average calories fell with 1.5 times chewing by 9.5%, and with twice normal by approximately 15%.

Another study found increasing chews per bite from 15 to 40 reduced calories and increased fullness hormones.

However, imposing a chewing limit may affect enjoyment. Chewing each bite for 30 seconds reduced later snacking but also reduced enjoyment.

Chewing can slow eating, reduce calories and promote weight loss.

Other benefits of slow eating

Slow eating and chewing increase fullness and help weight loss.

They also improve health and quality of life:

• Greater enjoyment of food. 
• Better digestion.
• Greater nutrient absorption. 
• Benefits dental health. 
• Helps calmness and control.
• Reduces stress.

How can we eat more slowly and lose weight?

Tips to help slow eating: 

• Do not become excessively hungry: It is difficult to eat slowly when very hungry. 
• To prevent extreme hunger, keep healthy snacks available. 
• Chew more: Count chews per bite and double them. You may be surprised how little you chew. 
• While eating, put cutlery on the table: Putting your fork down after each bite helps slow eating and savoring.
• Choose foods requiring chewing, such as vegetables, fruit and nuts— fiber-rich foods that may also help weight loss. 
• Plenty of water should be consumed: drink water and calorie-free beverages with meals.
• Use a timer: Set a kitchen timer (an oven timer may help) for 20 minutes and do not finish before it ends.
• Throughout the meal, aim for a slow, steady pace: Turn off distracting electronics and avoid television. If necessary, choose a 20-30 minute program and eat throughout it.
• Deep breaths can help: if you started too quickly, breathe deeply to refocus and slow down.
• Mindful eating techniquesshould be practiced: mindful eating techniques help you pay greater attention to what you eat and help bring the urge to overeat under control.
• Patient is what you should be: change takes time. A new behavior takes approximately 66 days to become habitual. With patience, slow eating becomes a habit.

Eat slowly and enjoy food

Fast eating may cause weight gain and reduce enjoyment. Slowing increases fullness and may help weight loss. It also offers many health and quality-of-life benefits.

When food arrives, take it easy and enjoy every bite.