There has
become a propensity to eat on the go or to gobble down our food as quickly as
possible.
Herein lies the
danger in that, apart from special occasions when we might take time to savour
the good, our fast intake will have detrimental effects in that we develop
unhealthy hearts and wider waistlines.
It has been
ascertained that people who eat slower and more mindfully are less likely to
add weight or develop metabolic syndrome. Research has shown that 2.3 per cent
of slow eaters will develop metabolic syndrome, in comparison to 6.5 per cent
of medium speed eaters and 11.6 per cent of the fast eaters.[1] The conclusion is that the
fast eaters were more at risk of developing the circumstances that would lead
to heart attacks, diabetes and stroke.
The further bad
news is that eating too speedily prevents the brain from noticing when the body
has taken in too many calories. When too many calories are ingested, the body
stores them as fat, which places additional pressure on the heart and other
vital organs. This speed of eating will also produce spikes of blood sugar,
which prevents insulin from working effectively and can lead to diabetes.
In response to
the study, Professor Jeremy Pearson, the associate medical director at the British
Heart Foundation, commented: ‘If anything, it’s a reminder that many of us have
hectic lifestyles which may include eating quickly at the desk over lunchtime,
or in a rush commuting home.’
Research
in the BMJ Open indicated that eating slowly, not having after-dinner snacks
and not eating within two hours of bedtime helped with lowering overweight and
obesity, together with smaller waistlines.
In
particular, the participants in the study who ate at the normal rate were 29
per cent less likely to be obese than those who ate quickly. For those who ate
slowly, the comparison was greater as they were 42 per cent less likely to be
obese than the quick eaters. The waist size was noticeably smaller amongst
those who ate at normal and slow speed.
The
scoffing down of food has been associated with impaired glucose intolerance and
insulin resistance, which may lead to diabetes. It could have the effect of
preventing weight loss as the message is not getting to the brain from the
stomach that it is full. For slower eaters, the message between the two organs
occurs at a faster rate so less calories are consumed.[2]
In addition to
consuming less calories, more mindful eating will result in feeing fuller for
longer and less likely to succumb to unhealthy cravings.[3]
In addition,
Eamee Russell, the Head of Prevention and Campaigns at the Stroke Association,
stated: ‘Obesity is a huge health challenge, and it can be the reason behind
the devastating stroke. Being overweight increases your risk of ischaemic
stroke by 22 per cent, and if you are obese, the risk increases by 64 per cent,
so tackling obesity is crucial.’
There is a
Swedish word fika, which means to take a break with coffee and a pastry,
in order to spend time with family, work colleagues or friends.
In her book The Family Dinner, writer Laura David made it a
‘project’ for the family to sit down together so (in her words) ‘everyone stop
what he or she was doing at around the same time every night and sit together
for satisfying amount of time to eat, talk, and connect as a family.’
The first action was to turn Tuesdays into taco night where
she and her children would invite guests, prepare tacos and prepare
conversation starters to discuss over the meal. It became a tradition very
quickly and the family turned other meals into special occasions as well.[4]
When we take
time out whilst eating, we are looking after our waistlines and our
relationships.
[1]
Cited in Sarah Knapton, ‘Gobbling down food increases risk of obesity, heart
attack and stroke, study suggests,’ Daily Telegraph, 13 November 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/11/13/gobbling-food-increases-risk-obesity-heart-attack-stroke-study/
[2]
Emma Gray, ‘Slow eating speed may be linked to weight loss,’ BMJ Open, 12 February 2018, http://blogs.bmj.com/bmjopen/2018/02/12/slow-eating-speed-may-be-linked-to-weight-loss/
[3]
‘Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat,’ Diabetes Spectrum 30 (3),
August 2017: 171 – 174, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5556586/
[4]
Laura David, The Family Dinner (Grand Central Life & Style, New
York, 2015)
Comments