John Myers
Eating a quick pizza at work is not healthy in the long run and has little to do with enjoyment. In everyday life, we often eat while standing, while driving, or in front of the television. Read this practical tip to find out what happens when we eat too quickly and what you should pay attention to.
Constant hectic eating quickly causes health problems
Eating in a hectic and fast manner over and over again is unhealthy. A Japanese study confirms this. It leads to a whole host of health problems. Since our everyday life is very often stressful due to work, appointments, or lack of time, we sometimes devour meals without realizing that we actually ate far too quickly.
- This is fatal because if you eat too fast all the time, the likelihood of getting sick increases. Japanese researchers at Hiroshima University found this out. Eating hastily, for example, leads to obesity with fat deposits, especially around the stomach.
- It can also be associated with an elevated blood sugar level, which later leads to problematic sugar metabolism in the body. This occurs in the form of insulin sensitivity or resistance (diabetes). High blood pressure is also not uncommon.
- In the more than 1,000 middle-aged participants in the Japanese study, research showed that eating too quickly can result in three times higher risk of developing any of the above health conditions.
- The conclusion of the study: Gulping down food leads to the five risk factors hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol and not enough good cholesterol, high blood sugar, and a large waist circumference. This can develop into a metabolic syndrome, with the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Eating fast makes you fat
When you eat, signals are usually generated over time that tells the body that you are full. However, fast eaters do not feel these satiety signals from their bodies. They cannot develop a proper feeling of satiety because they gobble. This often leads to obesity. Because there is no satiety, the fast eater always tends to eat larger portions than the body actually needs.
- If you often gulp down your food quickly because you are stressed, you will usually experience an unpleasant feeling of fullness, stomach pain, and stomach pressure. You belch frequently and get heartburn.
- Our brain only registers after 15 to 20 minutes that we are full. Eating slowly gets you to the point of saturation, while fast gorging doesn’t.
- Smaller bites and slow chewing generally make us feel full longer after eating. Chew each bite at least 20 times. This not only helps to eat less but also to lose weight in the long term. All things that promote health.
