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Speed of eating related to metabolic syndrome incidence
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The incidence of metabolic syndrome is linked to eating quickly, especially among those with a larger waist circumference and higher HDL cholesterol levels, according to recent study findings published in the Journal of Epidemiology.
“There are several hypotheses to explain why eating speed can have an impact on the incidence of metabolic syndrome,” the researchers wrote. “First, due to a lack of satiety, rapid ingestion may cause overeating before the stomach senses fullness. Second, eating fast may lead to insulin resistance, resulting in metabolic syndrome.”
Yasuo Haruyama, MD, PHD, of Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine in Japan, and colleagues evaluated 8,941 community residents aged 40 to 75 years without metabolic syndrome who completed a survey in 2008 and were followed until 2011 to determine the relationship between self-reported eating speed and metabolic syndrome incidence.
Overall, 647 participants were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome; the incidence rate was 2.3% among the slower eating group and 3.1% among the faster eating group. The incidence of metabolic syndrome was significantly associated with eating speed in the age- and sex-adjusted analysis (HR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.18-1.67). After full adjustment, the incidence of metabolic syndrome was greater in the faster group compared with the slower group (HR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.05-1.6).
A significant correlation was found between eating speed and waist circumference and HDL cholesterol; the HRs were 1.35 for waist circumference and 1.37 for HDL cholesterol among the faster group compared with the slower group.
“In conclusion, eating speed was associated with the incidence of metabolic syndrome, since the associations were still significant after adjusting for other lifestyle factors,” the researchers wrote. “Eating slowly may be an important lifestyle factor for the prevention of metabolic syndrome among Japanese.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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