The Speed of Eating: Health Implications and Weight Management

We’ve probably all been reprimanded for eating too fast at the dinner table or suffered the dreaded “itis” from eating way too much food at a family gathering. Our society and the systems we’ve developed to feed it have ballooned to such a point that they easily override our natural bodily systems that tell us when we’ve had enough to eat. 

When nearly 50% of the United States population is projected to have obesity by 2030, can something as simple as changing the speed with which we eat really be an effective tool for weight loss and sustaining a healthy body?

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: What is eating rate and does it have any impact on our health?

Studies referenced in the episode:

• Does Eating Fast Make You Gain More Weight?
• Eating slowly increases the postprandial response of the anorexigenic gut hormones, peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 
• Association between eating rate and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis 
• Eating too fast may lead to weight gain, heart disease 
• Is eating too quickly bad for your health? 
• How Important Is Eating Rate in the Physiological Response to Food Intake, Control of Body Weight, and Glycemia? 
• A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effect of eating rate on energy intake and hunger 
• Effects of eating rate and eating topography on meal size and satiety 
• The effect of eating rate on satiety in healthy and overweight people – A pilot study 
• Association between Self-Reported Eating Rate, Energy Intake, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population 
• Association between Self-Reported Eating Rate, Energy Intake, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population
• Control of overweight and obesity in childhood through education in meal time habits. The ‘good manners for a healthy future’ programme*
• Eating slowly led to decreases in energy intake within meals in healthy women

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Episode transcripts are available here.

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