According to the World Health Organization, obesity continues to increase throughout the world and has even tripled in the past 40 years. In 2020 in France, 17% of the population suffered from obesity, i.e. more than 8.5 million people. Its markers are numerous: physical inactivity, genetics, psychological situation, etc. A consumer’s eating behavior is also an element to be monitored.
Thus, skipping breakfast would be a bad habit, just like eat too quickly. Too high an ingestion rate would favor the appearance of indicators of obesity in a person, ie an increase in their BMI (body mass index) or their waist circumference.
The scientific journal Healthcare has completed several studies on this subject in order to summarize it. Of the 18 studies conducted in the general adult population, all found an association between slow food intake and lower BMI.
A link between slow ingestion and lower waist circumference evident
In this same population, eight studies have examined the links between eating too quickly and changes in waist circumference. Result: seven of these studies show a clear link between a slow swallowing rate and a lower waist circumference.
For people with diabetes or metabolic disorders, all studies have also concluded a relationship between slow ingestion and lower BMI and waist circumference.
The authors of the study nevertheless specified that certain points remained unclear. They could not determine whether eating faster contributes to increased BMI or whether people with higher BMI tend to eat faster on their own.
Nevertheless, several data seem to show that reducing the speed of ingestion would reduce the risk of obesity. “Determining and slowing down the feed rate could be an effective strategy“, ends the study.
Sources:
- Eat more slowly to reduce the risk of obesityCenter for Nutritional Research and Information (Cerin)
- Self-Reported Eating Speed Is Associated with Indicators of Obesity in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Healthcare, November 2021.
Read also:
- The body mass index: a tool of questionable reliability
- Covid-19: losing weight reduces the risk of complications
- Slimming tip: to avoid gaining weight, don’t forget to chew well!
