Does eating slowly really help cut calories?

February 25, 2010|By Anahad O'Connor, The New York Times

THE CLAIM: To cut calories, eat slowly.

THE FACTS: For ages, mothers have admonished children at the dinner table to slow down and chew their food. Apparently, they're onto something. Researchers have found evidence over the years that when people wolf their food, they end up consuming more calories than they would at a slower pace. One reason is the effect of quicker ingestion on hormones.

In a study last month, scientists found that when a group of subjects were given an identical serving of ice cream on different occasions, they released more hormones that made them feel full when they ate it in 30 minutes instead of 5. The scientists took blood samples and measured insulin and gut hormones before, during and after eating. They found that two hormones that signal feelings of satiety, or fullness -- glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY -- showed a more pronounced response in the slow condition.


In other words, experts say, it can't hurt to slow down and savor your meals.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Eating at a slower pace may increase fullness and reduce caloric intake.

Sun Sentinel Articles