Fast eaters show a larger rise in body mass index

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From the Los Angeles Times

THE LEAN PLATE

Slow and steady gains the least

Fast eaters show a larger rise in body mass index than those who

take their time, a study finds.

By Sally Squires

Special to The Times

January 2, 2006

To maintain your weight as you enter the new year — or any time —

slow down and savor your food.

That's the message from a new study that suggests slow eaters are

less likely to add weight than those who quickly gobble their meals.

Researchers have long suspected that eating fast might play a role

in weight gain. But few studies have systematically examined the

effects of eating quickly in healthy adults, and those results were

mixed.

To determine the role that speed of eating might play in adding

weight, Japanese researchers studied nearly 4,400 healthy, middle-

aged adults. Participants rated their eating habits in five

categories: very slow, relatively slow, medium, relatively fast and

very fast.

Researchers assessed each participant's food consumption and

physical activity for one month and took into account age, smoking

habits and alcohol intake. They used body mass index measurements to

compare participants' current weight with their weight at age 20.

The study found a direct correlation between speed of eating and

BMI. The slowest eaters showed the smallest rise in BMI from age 20,

while the quickest eaters showed the largest increase in BMI.

The findings suggest that " eating fast may lead to obesity

independent of energy intake or other lifestyle factors in middle-

aged, non-diabetic men and women, " the team reported recently at the

annual meeting of the North American Assn. for the Study of Obesity.

Here are other simple ways to help keep your weight in check:

• Alternate bites and sips. That's one strategy recommended by

Barbara Rolls, professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State

University. Rolls, author of " The Volumetrics Eating Plan, " suggests

taking a sip of water or another beverage in between each bite of

food.

But skip drinking water before a meal unless you're just thirsty. A

recent study by scientists at Virginia Tech and the University of

Colorado found no reduction in calories from drinking water 30

minutes before a meal.

• Drop the fork. Putting down utensils in between bites is a

commonly used behavioral strategy to help slow food consumption. As

for the familiar advice to chew each bite 30 times or more, doing so

may slow food consumption, but there's little scientific evidence to

suggest that it helps with fullness or feelings of satiety.

• Look at your bottom line. Numerous studies now show that food

records, portion control, regular weigh-ins, daily physical activity

and finding caloric balance are what consistently

separate " successful losers " — people who maintain their weight

loss — from those who regain it. Two other key habits: eating

breakfast daily and having regular, healthful meals.

• Have a backup plan. Life rarely goes as expected, particularly

during the holidays. Studies of habit-change show that people who

plan ahead but then are flexible enough to have alternative

strategies for when things go awry are more likely to succeed.

• Walk faster. It will help burn some of the added calories that

you're likely consuming this holiday season. Brisk walking and other

moderate aerobic activity appear to rev metabolism for nearly a day

afterward, according to a recent study of women conducted by U.S.

and Australian researchers. The team, led by Hunter at the

University of Alabama-Birmingham, compared the metabolism-revving

effects of 40 minutes of moderate activity against weight training.

Moderate aerobic activity, but not weight lifting, boosted calorie

burning for the next 20 hours. So speed walk to errands. Or just

give yourself the gift of regular 40-minute walks to burn calories.

• Enjoy a progressive meal. It's one way to attend multiple parties

the same day or night without overeating. So have hors d'oeuvres at

the first party, salad at the next, the main course at the following

party and dessert or coffee at your last stop.