Eating quickly leads to obesity

Wolfing down food can make you obese and slow down your day-to-day activities, a new study reveals.

Researchers found that women aged between 40-50 years who tend to eat fast are more likely to gain weight than those who eat slowly, the Daily Mail reported quoted the American Dietician Association as saying.

According to the study, eating quickly can double the risk of being overweight.

"Eating too fast over-rides the mechanisms which informs our brains that we`re full," said Ian MacDonald, researcher at Nottingham University.

"Nerves send signals to the brain that the stomach is expanding. At the same time, a hormone called ghrelin is produced. When your stomach empties, it triggers a hunger message and takes about 20 minutes to inform the brain to stop eating. In simple terms, eat too quickly and you`re likely to overfill your stomach," he said.

"Many people develop these fast-eating habits as children, to get away from the dinner table. It`s amazing how these habits can be carried through adulthood," he added.

According to another study conducted at the Medical University of South California, bolting down food could increase the risk of acid reflux, a stomach acid that allows the food or fluid to be tasted in the back of the mouth.

The study showed that eating a 690-calorie meal in five or 30 minutes induced up to 50 percent of acid reflux , overloading the digestive tract with large lumps of food and prompting an overload of stomach acid, a university statement said.

"Eating too fast can also contribute to wind and general discomfort," said gastroenterologist David Forecast.

"You`ll be gulping down large quantities of air, which can cause some discomfort in your digestive tract," he added.