To lose weight, take your time eating

When Luke (Paul Newman) downed 50 hard-boiled eggs in 60 minutes in the 1967 movie “Cool Hand Luke,” he set the bar for cinematic lessons on the evils of eating too much too fast.

While that scene may be surpassed in grossness by the blueberry-pie-eating contest in the 1986 movie “Stand by Me” or Daryl Hannah munching down a whole lobster (shell and all) in 1984’s “Splash,” to us Luke still is the best example of a bad example.

By egg 32, a fellow prisoner says Luke’s stomach is bloated, “Just like a ripe watermelon that’s about to bust itself open.” And there’s science to back up that bloated claim. A study published in the BMJ reveals that cramming food in your mouth at a fast clip is associated with obesity and a larger waist circumference. Over six years, out of more than 59,000 people with Type 2 diabetes, researchers found that only 22 per cent of slow eaters were obese, while 45 per cent of fast eaters were. And slow eaters had a lower body mass index and smaller waist circumference.

Are you a speedy eater? Try taking 30 or more minutes to get through every meal. Eat with a friend or family member, and take time to make conversation.

Skip drive-thru breakfasts; eat at home. Step away from your desk at lunch. Drink water between bites. You’ll give your “I’m full” hormone (leptin) time to signal that you’ve had enough, reducing your intake. You’ll notice that you’re enjoying the flavors of food more, too. Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.