Meal type, not sequence, affected meal duration, the number of chews, and chewing tempo, with implications for obesity prevention.
"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."
Katsumi Iizuka, MD, of Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan, was principal investigator for the study, which was published online in Nutrients.
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.
This research received funding from the Suzuken Memorial Foundation. Iizuka declared having no competing interests.