Waiting thirty seconds between two bites helps regulate appetite. In children who follow the rule to the letter, it even promotes weight loss.
One bite, 30 seconds then another bite. Eating slowly is one piece of advice that almost all children should have received from their parents. Few apply it, but the interest of this technique is real. A study, published in Pediatric Obesity, shows that it helps prevent excessive weight gain.
54 Mexican adolescents, a population very affected by obesity, took part in this research. A control group with similar characteristics was used to observe the impact of the intervention on weight. The aim of the study was to reduce food intake as much as possible before the brain sends a signal of fullness.
For this, the young people adopted the slow method: between each bite, they had to wait 30 seconds.
An hourglass enabled them to measure this period of time very exactly. “The hourglass is more of a game. We also noticed that the children watched each other. If one of them forgot, the others reminded him, ”said Pedro Cabrales, co-author of the study.
Weight loss
By taking the time to reflect between each bite, adolescents can better gauge their appetite, the researchers say. They therefore understand better when they are no longer hungry. In addition to this strategy, young people were asked to drink a glass of water before each meal and to avoid snacking.
The participants were separated into two groups: those who followed the instructions, and those who did not. Respecting the 30-second rule has a real interest: at one year, it allowed a weight loss of 3.4 to 4.8%. In the “non-compliant” group, the weight increased from 8.3 to 12.6%. It was more than in the group that served as control.
The advantage of this technique is that it is simple and can be maintained over the long term without too much effort. In addition, it can be integrated into any cultural context. The Mexican federal states have obviously been convinced: the provinces of Michoacan, Yucatan and Veracruz have asked researchers to teach the method in their establishments.
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