It’s a common belief: Those who are obese have trouble feeling fuller faster. But does science back it up? According to a new study from the University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland, it turns out the opposite is the case–obese people actually feel fuller faster than those of normal weight.
So what’s going on here?
“Our results show that, when compared to those of normal weight, obese participants reached maximal satiation sooner,” say researchers, whose study was published online in the journal Physiology & Behavior. “[However] their total intake of calories was higher, and their gastric emptying rates were delayed.”
Their findings, now reported by Science Daily, offer important insight on what fuels a person to gain weight–and it’s not likely to make many people happy. As it turns out, obese people actually consume more calories over the same time period as those at a normal weight. But why? Read the details on the study below.
The Study
It’s been a myth for decades, but researcher Christoph Beglinger wanted to see if indeed obese people had trouble getting fuller faster–simple reasoning that would explain why they’re more prone to weight gain. To find out if that was the case, here’s what Beglinger did:
- First, he recruited 20 obese people and 20 people described as “normal weight”, splitting them into two groups. He then asked them to consume a nutritional beverage in the morning on an empty stomach. Participants were allowed to drink as much as they wanted.
- Next, Beglinger asked them every three minutes about their satiety levels–namely, if they felt full yet. He then recorded how quickly they became full.
- After the study ended, Beglinger compared the data to the amount of beverage they consumed. On average, the obese participants reported feeling fuller faster than the normal weight participants–however, they consumed 35 calories more per minute. Over a period of 10 minutes, that translates to 350 more calories consumed.
Unfortunately, in this case, getting fuller faster–something commonly thought to improve weight loss odds–doesn’t seem to be reliable at all. Instead, it’s the rate of eating that has the bigger effect, according to Beglinger.
“Eating even just 100 kcal a day more than the recommended amount can cause weight gain,” says Beglinger. “For this reason, the speed of eating is a potential contributing factor in obesity. Eating slowly is not only healthy, but it should also help you lose weight.”
What You Should Do
Struggling to lose weight? Forget about making your appetite smaller; focus on how fast you eat food instead. To slow down your food intake, make sure to chew slowly and take sips of water between bites of food–this forces you to slow down, making you consume fewer calories over the long haul.
Readers: What are some other ways you keep your calorie intake low while on a diet?
Sources:
Study: Obese People Actually Get Fuller Faster, According to Researchers – ScienceDirect.com
Obese People Get Fuller Faster But Eat More Rapidly According to Researchers – ScienceDaily.com
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