All dieters are told one possible strategy to control caloric consumption is to eat more slowly.
But does it really work? A new study says that may all depend on how much you already weigh.
Led by Jen Copeland, a former graduate student in Texas Christian U’s Department of Kinesiology, under the guidance of professor, Dr. Meena Shah, the study showed that eating speeds affect different weight groups differently. Specifically, overweight and obese individuals may not reap the same benefits of eating slowly as their normal-weight counterparts.
The study
The team's study included 35 normal weight people and 35 who were overweight or obese. All of the participants were asked to eat the same vegetarian pasta meal on two different occasions. The first time around, people were asked to eat either quickly or slowly, based on a random assignment. A few days later, they were given the opposite instructions.
On fast eating days, the researchers asked participants to eat as quickly as possible without feeling uncomfortable - as though they had time constraints. They told them to take large bites, chew quickly, not put utensils down and not pause between bites.
On the slow eating days, they told people to eat as if they had no time constraints. They instructed them to take small bites, chew thoroughly and put their fork or spoon down and pause between bites. The researchers secretly measured how much food participants ate by weighing their plates after meals.
Normal weight participants consumed 88 fewer calories during the meal when they ate slowly, on average - 805 calories compared to 893 calories during the faster meal. That was a clear change.
Overweight and obese people consumed 58 fewer calories during the slow meal - 667 calories versus 725 calories. But that difference could have been due to chance: Shah believes the overweight and obese participants may have eaten less because they felt self-conscious during the study.
Dr. Shah and her team determined that this 58-kilocalorie drop was not large enough to be considered statistically significant, meaning that eating more slowly doesn’t necessarily aid in controlling calories if you are already overweight or obese.
Dr. Shah and her fellow researchers surmised that this feeling of being less hungry might be linked to increased oro-sensory signals influencing the metabolic processes that determine hunger and fullness. Another theory is that slower eating makes subjects more mindful when it comes to meals – providing more time for sensory experiences that help determine levels of hunger and fullness. It may also be partly linked to the increased water consumption (both weight groups drank significantly more water over the course of the slower-paced meal).
Dr. Shah suggested, “Slowing the speed of eating may help to lower energy intake and suppress hunger levels, and it may even enhance the enjoyment of a meal.”
Wise words to remember the next time you pick up a fork.
Sources: http://www.reuters.com/, http://consumer.healthday.com, http://www.newsevents.tcu.edu/