Speed of Eating Linked to Weight Gain

It may not be the burger that packs on the pounds, but the speed at which you eat it. New research from Otago University has revealed eating speed is linked to weight gain. Department of Human Nutrition researchers analyzed the relationship between self-reported speed of eating and BMI in over 1,500 middle-aged women. Dr. Caroline Horwath says that for every one-step increase in speed in a five-step scale, BMI increased by 2.8%, which equates to a weight gain of just under 2kg. “We have expected that we would see an increase in obesity with faster eating, but we were surprised at the size of the effect.” She also said the research suggests a reduction in eating speed is a promising way to prevent weight gain.