Slow way to lose weight

EATING more slowly may be the key to losing weight – along with cutting out after dinner snacks and not eating two hours before bedtime, according to a new study.

Researchers discovered that slowing down the speed at which you eat, as well as putting late suppers and midnight feasts to bed help to shed the pounds.

Their findings, published by the online journal BMJ Open, show that changing these eating habits was strongly associated with lower obesity and weight and smaller waist circumference.

The researchers based their findings on health insurance data for nearly 60,000 people with diabetes In Japan who submitted claims and had regular health check-ups between 2008 and 2013.

The claims included information on the dates of consultations and treatments, while the check-ups included measurements of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, and the results of tests for blood chemistry, urine, and liver function.

During the check-ups, the participants were questioned about their lifestyle, including their eating and sleep habits as well as alcohol and tobacco use.

Study author Dr Haruhisa Fukuda, of Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences in Japan, said: “They were specifically asked about their eating speed, which was categorised as fast, normal, or slow.

“And they were asked whether they did any of the following three or more times a week: eat dinner within two hours of going to sleep; snack after dinner; and skip breakfast.”

More than a third of the participants (36.5 per cent) had one check-up over the six years, while just under a third (29.5 per cent) had two. One in five (20 per cent) had three.

At the start of the study, 22,070 people routinely wolfed down their food; 33,455 ate at a normal speed; and 4,192 lingered over every mouthful.