Could Eating Slow Really Trim Calories?

Author: Allie Montgomery

We never want to admit our parents were right about things we didn't want to hear, but when your mother told you to take time chewing your food she was actually doing us a favor. Research is suggesting that eating slowly can encourage people to eat less and actually enjoy their meal more.

Researchers studied 30 young women while they ate their lunch of pasta, tomatoes, and cheese. These diners consumed an average of 70 fewer calories when they ate their meal at a slower pace and chewed their food thoroughly. This evidence gives scientific support to a weight-control tactic that has been long recommended, the researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Ana M. Andrade and her team at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston explain that the theory has been that a leisurely dining pace allows the proper amount of time for the body's natural fullness signals to kick in. Stomach distention and changes with several appetite-related hormones, such as, it will alert the body that it is full and it is time to stop eating. But these processes do take time, so a meal that is rushed could theoretically cause you to overeat. Unfortunately, there has been little evidence as to whether eating at a slower pace really does trim your calorie intake.

Andrade's team tested this idea by having the 30 women eat the same meal with pasta on two separate occasions. One the first day, these women were told to eat their meals as fast as they could while still being in their comfort zone, with no pauses between bites. The second day, they were instructed to take small bites and but their spoon down between bites. They were also to chew eat mouthful 20 to 30 times.

At the end of the study, on average, the researchers found that the women at nearly 70 fewer calories when they slowed down their eating. They also felt they were more full and satisfied after their meal.

According to Andrade and her team, there could also be several other potential reasons for their findings. Besides allowing more time for the body's signals to start working to make the body feel more full, savoring a meal's flavors, feeling the textures, and smelling the aromas may also help the people feel more satisfied with fewer calories.

The researchers also noted that similar studies of this nature would need to be tested in men and obese adults to see if the current evidence holds true for them as well.