Does eating fast make you fat? Fortis bariatric surgeon shares 2 easy hacks to slow down: Smell your food…

Are you always in a hurry to finish your meal? Check out these 2 doctor-approved hacks that help slow down your eating pace.

Do you frequently scarf down your food? The reasons may vary. You might be running late in the morning, rushing through a work break, stress-eating during a hectic day, dealing with tough emotions after a breakup, eating a lot for distraction's sake, or simply finding the food too delicious to slow down. But can this habit actually put you at risk of weight gain?

Eating quickly can affect your digestion. (Picture credit: Freepik)

We have asked Dr Hrishikesh Salgaonkar, consultant-bariatric and laparoscopic surgery at Fortis Hospital Mulund, Mumbai, who explained whether the pace of eating really matters. Often, weight gain is viewed mainly through the lens of food type, like junk food with high saturated fats, along with quantity. But this emerging concern of the pace of eating tries to understand the association between health and how quickly a person finishes their food.

What happens in your body when you eat quickly?

The surgeon explained a built-in system that tells us when we have had enough to eat, but it does not work instantly. There is a natural delay between eating and the brain recognising that the stomach is full. This delay is instrumental in how much food one eats during a meal.

Dr Salgaonkar described the internal process, “We know that the human gut-brain axis works with quite a delay, usually taking almost twenty minutes for satiety hormones such as PYY and CCK to get to the hypothalamus. So, when you eat a high-calorie meal in less than ten minutes, your body tends to ignore its natural ‘stop’ signal.”

What are the consequences? He revealed that you end up accidentally eating a lot more than the body actually needs before you even feel full.

Why are you at risk of weight gain from eating fast?

When you eat quickly, you also overeat. (Shutterstock)

Here's where it gets interesting. The surgeon attributed weight gain to something called the ‘processing paradox’, which is one of the primary reasons behind weight gain. It refers to a certain contradiction. The surgeon elaborated, "The contradiction between your desire to eat healthy food and the high consumption of ultra-processed food due to convenience, taste, cravings or cost.”

This means when people want to eat healthy foods, they often crave ultra-processed foods. There are many reasons for this, from being quick and tasty, to being cheap and convenient. Now these foods are usually soft and easy to eat quickly, so people consume them faster and in larger amounts without noticing. So fast eating generally happens with ultra-processed foods, which can make it easier to overeat and eventually cause weight gain.

Fast eating also increases sudden blood sugar spikes. The surgeon described, “You eat calories at a rate that’s often three times faster than eating whole foods, causing quick, sharp jumps in blood sugar and insulin.”

How to prevent: 2 easy hacks

How do you slow down your eating pace? It is not rocket science and is actually quite simple. The surgeon recommended two hacks. First is to take a few seconds of your meal to look and smell your food. Dr Salgaonkar recommended taking out thirty seconds. It is helpful as it prepares your nervous system and, as per the surgeon, signals your body to start releasing digestive enzymes even before you take a bite. It also aids in coming around the gut-brain delay.

The second hack deals with chewing better. Often when you are eating fast, you don't chew that well, which is one of the root problems. The surgeon recommended chewing each mouthful about thirty times and putting your utensils down on the table between bites. He reasoned, “This lets the stomach's stretch receptors send signals to the brain as it happens.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.