How rapidly you consume your meals has a dramatic effect on how much you eat. For those who are struggling to lose weight, increasing the amount of time it takes to eat a meal may be helpful in reducing calories and hunger.
The main hormone responsible for feeling full is leptin. Unfortunately, there is a 10-20 minute gap between when your body is full and when the hormone leptin is able to do its job. Thus, for people who eat their meals in less than 10 minutes, it is very easy to consume much more calories than would be necessary to feel full.
In a new study, subjects who were asked to eat their meals slowly ended up consuming 88 calories less per meal than the control group (obese subjects consumed only 58 calories less). Both groups also reported feeling less hungry after consuming their meal slowly.
Although 88 calories may not seem like an enormous amount, this can add up to 250 calories per day, which is enough to lose half a pound per week or 26 pounds per year.
Conclusions
For those who are trying to reduce caloric intake, eating more slowly can be immensely beneficial.
References
1 Shah M, et al. Slower Eating Speed Lowers Energy Intake in Normal-Weight but Not Overweight/Obese Subjects. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, December 2013