Eating quickly can make you overeat
4 Nov 2009, 1537 Hrs

Add comment          Mail          Print          Write to Editor

Washington, Nov 4 Gorging on your favourite meal can make you overeat, say researchers.

The research team from Laiko General Hospital in Athens Greece have found that eating quickly, as compared to slowly, curtails the release of hormones in the gut that induce feelings of being full.

The decreased release of these hormones can often lead to overeating.

"Most of us have heard that eating fast can lead to food overconsumption and obesity, and in fact some observational studies have supported this notion," said Dr Alexander Kokkinos, lead author of the study.

"Our study provides a possible explanation for the relationship between speed eating and overeating by showing that the rate at which someone eats may impact the release of gut hormones that signal the brain to stop eating," Kokkinos added.

Previous studies on that gut hormones, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), has shown that their release after a meal acts on the brain and induces satiety and meal termination.

Until now, concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones have not been examined in the context of different rates of eating.

During the study, subjects consumed the same test meal, 300ml of ice-cream, at different rates. Researchers took blood samples for the measurement of glucose, insulin, plasma lipids and gut hormones before the meal and at 30 minute intervals after the beginning of eating, until the end of the session, 210 minutes later.

They found that subjects who took the full 30 minutes to finish the ice cream had higher concentrations of PYY and GLP-1 and also tended to have a higher fullness rating.

"Our findings give some insight into an aspect of modern-day food overconsumption, namely the fact that many people, pressed by demanding working and living conditions, eat faster and in greater amounts than in the past," said Kokkinos.

"The warning we were given as children that 'wolfing down your food will make you fat,' may in fact have a physiological explanation," the expert added.

The study appears in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM). (ANI)

Related Latest

Laser therapy can worsen skin cancer Strauss says England are in S.Africa to make runs, not friends Bottling up negativity can lead to ill health Ant farmers use bacteria to make their gardens grow Maternal depression can worsen asthma in kids Rajya Sabha adjourned twice over sugarcane prices Human skin grown from stem cells can help burns victims Balanced diet and sunscreen, not water, can give beautiful skin Soon, a spray that can prevent premature ejaculation Blame game can be as contagious as epidemic

Related Latest

A show that will go into people's past lives Now terrorists emerge from educated households: Om Puri US health reforms face biggest test yet in Senate Fire destroys 106 homes in Ecuador Honduras' Micheletti's temporary step down a 'positive step': US Lopez, Anthony sued over dog's behaviour Hugh Jackman reconciles with mother Gerard Butler wants to launch fragrance line China has 'direct link with Kashmir', says Mirwaiz ahead of visit 'Prayer chamber' near Hindon river to lower pollution

• A show that will go into people's past lives
• Now terrorists emerge from educated households: Om Puri
• US health reforms face biggest test yet in Senate
• Fire destroys 106 homes in Ecuador
• Honduras' Micheletti's temporary step down a 'positive step': US

• भारतीय क्रिकेट की मजबूत दीवार
• कंगारूओं के आगे ढेर, चीतों से कैसे मुकाबला करेंगें शेर
• Reducing greenhouse gases may not be enough to slow global warming
• बीकानेर महापौर चुनावः एक विश्लेषण
• Deepawali: The Festival Of Lights