Eating habits can reduce obesity risk, study shows

Obesity is a major health issue linked to diseases like diabetes and heart problems. As obesity rates rise worldwide, researchers are looking for simple solutions. Recent studies show that not just what we eat, but how we eat can affect how much we consume. A team from Fujita Health University in Japan, led by Professor Katsumi Iizuka, studied eating habits to understand these behaviors better. They looked at factors like meal duration, chewing speed, and the number of bites taken. Their findings were published in the Nutrients journal. The study involved 33 healthy adults who were asked to eat pizza under different conditions. Researchers measured how long participants took to eat, how many times they chewed, and how many bites they took. They also played rhythmic sounds to see how it affected their eating. Results showed that women took longer to eat and chewed more than men. Women spent about 87 seconds eating, while men took around 63 seconds. However, both sexes had a similar chewing speed. When participants listened to a slow rhythm, they ate for a longer time than without the music. The researchers suggest some easy changes to help people eat slower. These include taking smaller bites and chewing more. Creating a calm eating environment with music might also help. Iizuka noted that these strategies are affordable and can start being used right away to help prevent obesity. These findings could be useful in nutrition programs. Instead of only focusing on food choices, programs can include advice on eating behaviors. This approach might help reduce obesity-related health issues in the future. Further studies could test these strategies with different types of food. Overall, this research provides practical advice to fight obesity effectively.