AMMAR AHMED KHAN

KARACHI: People looking to shrink waistlines may want to adopt three simple eating habits to help them get there. A study tracking 60,000 people monitored eating speed and their evening meal time appeared to be significant factors in the struggle to lose weight.

Specifically, eating more slowly, avoiding snacks after dinner, and not eating within two hours before going to bed were all linked to weight loss.

The people were asked to report the speed at which they ate as fast, normal, or slow. The researchers found those who ate at normal speed were 29% less likely to be obese than fast eaters. The findings for slow eaters were 42% less likely to be obese.

Other habits the researchers looked at —including eating or skipping breakfast, and how much sleep— had no significant impact on weight.

 A dietitian nutritionist and health psychologist maintained: “When you tend to eat quickly, you may miss out on your body’s cues for satiety, or fullness, and end up eating more. Natural slow eaters may be attending to their body’s cues for filling, and eat a more appropriate portion during each eating occasion”. 

The study concludes that changes in eating habits can affect obesity, BMI and waist circumference. If you tend to be a fast eater try practice mindful eating, in which you consciously pay attention to each bite of food you put into your mouth and notice your thoughts, feelings, and sensations.