Does Eating Fast Really Make You Fat?

This is one of those things that a mom tells their child, “Slow down, you eat too fast, it isn’t good for your health”, yet she could not explain why it was not good for the child’s health.

Once we start eating, there are two things that makes us stop; either we are satisfied and full or we ran out of what to eat. This is where it gets a bit complicated but we will keep it simple.

To achieve a feeling of satisfaction and fullness, multiple physiological reactions must take place. Hormones need to travel from the gut to the brain, providing feedback on how the eating process is going, and stretch receptors in the stomach, must indicate it is nearing capacity.

When food gets into the stomach rather quickly, sometimes the stretch receptors can be slow to respond. This is because when you eat too fast the “all-full” signal can take a while to come, causing you to eat a lot more than you probably should or want to.

Given that the stomach stretches relative to the amount of food ingested over a period of time, you can find yourself having to eat way too much just to get full. Therefore, if eating much makes you fat, then eating fast will probably make you fat as well.

If you find it hard to not quickly finish you food at the dinner table, try putting your fork down between bites or stopping before you feel full and drink a glass of water. I can’t guarantee that these methods will always work for you but then what else is there to loose but weight?

Again there are those of us who can eat a truck in a minute during every meal, yet still look like we are starving while others can gain weight just at the sight of food!