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Ever notice how some people seem to take forever to finish a meal
while others gulp it down almost instantly? And how those diners who
eat with leisure tend to leave more food on their plates?
TCU researchers have been examining the link between eating speed
and food intake in both normal weight and overweight and obese
subjects. In a study recently published in the
Journal of the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics
, the researchers found that diners who took
more time eating between bites tended to consume less food and
fewer calories and felt less hungry later on.
“Slowing the speedof eatingmay help lower energy intake and suppress
hunger levels and may even enhance the enjoyment of a meal,” said
Meena Shah, professor of kinesiology and one of authors of the study.
The research findings were published around New Year’s Day, just as
Americans typically resolve to embrace healthier habits and loseweight.
Shah and her team were quoted in an array of media from
Science
Daily
to
U.S. News & World Report
.
The actual research was conducted a couple of years ago on campus
by Jennifer Copeland ’13 MS. Shah and Copeland, then a graduate
student in kinesiology and now earning a nursing degree at Texas A&M
University, were interested in the role eating behavior plays in how
much food a person consumes.
Shah said only three studies had looked at how eating speed had an
impact on calorie consumption in normal weight versus overweight
and obese individuals. She said those studies had conflicting results.
“We noticed there were several limitations in these studies,” Shah said.
“The sample size was small. The studies did not report controlling for
physical activity and energy intake prior to the eating conditions or
eating episodes, and two of the three studies did not randomly assign
the subjects to an eating condition. We addressed all these limitations
in our study.”
Besides Shah and Copeland, other investigators included Lyn Dart,
associate professor of nutritional sciences; Debbie Rhea, professor of
kinesiology; Ashlei James ’12, graduate student in kinesiology; and
Beverley Adams-Huet from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
The researchers recruited 70 individuals — 35 normal weight and 35
overweight and obese subjects as defined by their body mass index,
waist circumference and percent body fat. All the subjects ate the same
meal of vegetable pasta in two different conditions — one at a leisurely
pace where they were told to take smaller bites, chew longer and pause
and put the spoon down between bites and one at a fast pace where
they were instructed to eat as fast as possible.
“Once they finished eating, we measured how much they ate,” Shah
said. “We provided them with a specific amount of food and weighed
the food not consumed.”
Subjects were also asked to complete a questionnaire measuring their
feelings of fullness and hunger both before and after the meal.
“In both groups, the slow-eating condition suppressed hunger levels
more than the fast-eating condition,” Shah said.
The investigators found that both groups consumed fewer
calories when eating slower, but normal-weight subjects saw a
significant decline.
Those in the normal-weight group consumed 88 fewer calories in
the slow meal compared with the fast meal and overweight/obese
individuals ate 58 fewer calories when taking their time.
Shah said the overweight/obese group actually consumed less food
in both eating settings, which may have contributed to the smaller
difference in their intake between the slow and fast condition.
“Other studies have shown that overweight and obese individuals tend
to eat less food when they are observed by others compared to when
they are alone,” Shah said. “Normal-weight subjects do the opposite.”
Shah said the difference in calorie intake between the slow and fast
condition could add up over time. Consuming 88 fewer calories each
day may result in a weight loss of nine pounds after a year. A 58 calorie-
reduction may result in a six-pound weight loss, she added.
In addition, the difference in calorie consumption between the two
meals may have been partly influenced by the amount of water they
drank in each of the meals. Overall, participants in both groups drank 9
ounces of water during the fast meal compared with 12 ounces in the
slow meal.
Normal-weight subjects drank 27 percent more water in the slowmeals
and overweight/obese individuals drank 33 percent more in the slow
meal. This may have caused more stomach distention during the slower
eating condition and a greater sense of fullness. The slower eating
may have also allowed more mindful eating and greater awareness of
fullness.
With obesity rates continuing to rise in the United States, information
about how people can cut back on calories while still feeling satisfied
can pinpoint healthy strategies to win the battle of the bulge.
“It all goes back to followingwhat your mother said,”Shah said.“Eat slowly
and enjoy your food.”
By Kathryn Hopper
Reprinted with permission from
TCU Magazine
, Spring 2014
TIME TO
EAT
Meena Shah
FEATURES
Harris College Magazine
- 2014 ·
17