6/14/2020 Does Eating Slowly Help You Lose Weight?

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Does Eating Slowly Help You Lose

Weight?
Written by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE on June 18, 2019

Speed eating Eating slowly Thorough chewing Other benefits

Tips Bottom line

Many people eat their food quickly and carelessly.

This may lead to weight gain and other health issues.

Eating slowly may be a much smarter approach, as it could provide a

number of benefits.

This article explores the benefits of eating slowly.

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Eating too fast can cause weight gain

People who eat quickly tend to weigh more than those who don’t (1  , 2  ,
3  , 4  , 5  ).

In fact, fast eaters are up to 115% more likely than slower eaters to be
obese (3  ).

They also tend to gain weight over time, which may be partially due to
eating too fast.

In one study in over 4,000 middle-aged adults, those who said they ate
very fast tended to be heavier and had gained the most body weight
since age 20 (5  ).

Another study examined weight change in 529 men over 8 years. Those
who reported being fast eaters gained more than twice as much weight
as self-described slow or medium-paced eaters (6  ).

SUMMARY
Studies show that people who eat quickly tend to be heavier and
gain more weight over time, compared with slower eaters.

Eating slowly helps you eat less

Your appetite and calorie intake is largely controlled by hormones.

After a meal, your gut suppresses a hormone called ghrelin, which

controls hunger, while also releasing fullness hormones (7  ).

These hormones tell your brain that you have eaten, reducing appetite, 

making you feel full, and helping you stop eating.

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This process takes about 20 minutes, so slowing down gives your brain
the time it needs to receive these signals.

Eating slowly can increase fullness hormones

Eating too quickly often leads to overeating, as your brain doesn’t have
enough time to receive fullness signals.

Additionally, eating slowly has been shown to decrease the amount of

food consumed during the meal due to an increase in fullness hormones
(8  , 9  , 10  ).

In one study, 17 healthy people with a normal weight ate 10.5 ounces (300
grams) of ice cream on 2 occasions. During the first, they at the ice cream
within 5 minutes, but during the second, they took 30 minutes (8  ).

Their reported fullness and levels of fullness hormones increased

significantly more after eating the ice cream slowly.

In a follow-up study, this time in people with diabetes, as well as

overweight or obesity, slowing down did not increase fullness hormones.
However, it significantly increased rates of fullness (11  ).

Other research shows that young people with obesity experience higher
levels of fullness hormones when they eat slowly (12  , 13  ).

Eating slowly can decrease calorie intake

In one study, people with normal weight or overweight ate at different

paces. Both groups ate fewer calories during the slowest-paced meal,
although the difference was only statistically significant in the normal-
weight group (10  ).

All participants also felt fuller for longer after eating more slowly, reporting
less hunger 60 minutes after the slow meal than after the fast one.

This spontaneous reduction in calorie intake should lead to weight loss

over time.

SUMMARY

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Eating slowly increases the levels of gut hormones responsible

for feeling full, which may help reduce calorie intake.

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Eating slowly promotes thorough chewing

To eat slowly, you need to chew your food thoroughly before swallowing.

This can help you reduce calorie intake and lose weight.

In fact, several studies have found that people with weight problems tend
to chew their food less than people with normal weight do (14  , 15  ).

In one study, researchers asked 45 people to eat pizza until full while
chewing at different rates — normal, 1.5 times more than normal, and
twice the normal rate (16  ).

The average calorie intake decreased by 9.5% when people chewed 1.5

times more than normal and nearly 15% when they chewed twice as much
as usual.

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Another small study noted that calorie intake decreased and fullness
hormone levels increased when the number of chews per bite increased
from 15 to 40 (17  ).

However, there may be a limit to how much chewing you can do and still
enjoy a meal. One study found that chewing each bite for 30 seconds
reduced snacking later on — but also significantly reduced meal
enjoyment (18  ).

SUMMARY
Chewing food thoroughly slows down your eating pace and
reduces the number of calories you take in, which can lead to
weight loss.

Other benefits of eating slowly

Eating slowly may also improve your health and quality of life in other
ways, including:

increasing your enjoyment of food

improving your digestion

helping you better absorb nutrients

making you feel calmer and more in control

reducing your levels of stress

SUMMARY
There are many other good reasons to eat more slowly, including
improved digestion and reduced stress.

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How to slow down and lose weight

Here’s some advice to help you start eating more slowly:

Avoid extreme hunger. It’s hard to eat slowly when you’re very
hungry. To prevent extreme hunger, keep some healthy snacks on
hand.

Chew more. Count how many times you normally chew a bite of
food, then double that amount. You may be surprised at how little
you usually chew.

Set your utensils down. Putting down your fork between bites of
food will help you eat more slowly and savor each bite.

Eat foods that need chewing. Focus on fibrous foods that require a
lot of chewing, such as vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Fiber can also
promote weight loss.

Drink water. Make sure to drink plenty of water or other zero-calorie

beverages with your meals.

Use a timer. Set your kitchen timer for 20 minutes and do your best
not to finish before the buzzer goes off. Aim for a slow, consistent
pace throughout the meal.

Turn off your screens. Try to avoid electronic devices, such as

television and smartphones, while eating.

Take deep breaths. If you begin to eat too quickly, take some deep
breaths. This will help you refocus and get back on track.

Practice mindful eating. Mindful eating techniques help you pay

more attention to what you’re eating and gain control of your
cravings.

Be patient. Change takes time, as it takes about 66 days for a new 

behavior to become a habit (19).

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SUMMARY
With practice and a few tried-and-true techniques, eating slowly
will become easier and more sustainable.

The bottom line

Eating too quickly can lead to weight gain and decreased enjoyment of
food.

However, slowing down can increase fullness and promote weight loss. It
also provides other health benefits.

If you minimize your screen time, chew more, and focus on high-fiber
foods, you’ll be well on your way to slower eating.

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