To feel fuller for longer, eat slowly

YOUR mother was right when she told you not to wolf down your food.

For people who eat more slowly feel fuller and think they have eaten more than those who eat quickly, a study has found. Previous studies have shown slower eaters also have a lower body mass index than those who gobble their food. However, scientists do not know exactly why this is.

In the latest study, researchers from the University of Bristol pumped 400ml of tomato soup through a tube into the mouths of 40 participants at two rates – a fast rate of 11.8ml for two seconds followed by a four-second pause, and a slow rate of 5.4ml for one second followed by a ten-second pause.

Participants were asked how full they felt, and asked again two hours later, with the slower eaters saying they felt fuller than the fast eaters on both occasions. The slow eaters also overestimated how much they had eaten – guessing an average of 108ml more soup than the other group.