Meal Type, Not Sequence, Affects Duration, Eating Behavior

TOPLINE:

Meal type, not sequence, affected meal duration, the number of chews, and chewing tempo, with implications for obesity prevention.

METHODOLOGY:

• A total of 41 participants (18 men, 23 women) with an average age of 41.1 years consumed two different meal types — pizza, or hamburger steak bento (includes rice and broccoli) with variations in the order of vegetable consumption.
• Researchers measured meal duration, number of chews, bites, and chewing tempo using the Bitescan device; dietary habits and nutrient intake in the preceding month using a Brief-Type Self-Administered Diet History Questionnaire; and grip strength.

TAKEAWAY:

• Meal type affects meal duration, number of chews, and chewing tempo.
• Bento meals (vegetables first or last) resulted in longer meal durations than pizza, with mean differences of −182 seconds (vegetables first) and −216 seconds (vegetables last).
• No significant differences in meal duration were seen based on the order of vegetable consumption.
• The number of bites was similar across all meal types.

IN PRACTICE:

“Serving foods individually and eating with chopsticks may be effective in providing nutritional guidance for individuals with obesity because this strategy increases meal duration and the number of chews,” the authors wrote. “To continue eating slowly to prevent obesity, we must not only take smaller bites and chew well when eating but also pay attention to the food we choose.”

SOURCE:

Katsumi Iizuka, MD, of Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan, was principal investigator for the study, which was published online in Nutrients.

LIMITATIONS:

The study had limitations. It was exploratory, not a randomized, comparative study. In addition, the researchers did not assess participants’ number of teeth or their condition, which could affect chewing, or psychological factors that may have affected eating time.

DISCLOSURES:

This research received funding from the Suzuken Memorial Foundation. Iizuka declared having no competing interests.