In a video posted on Instagram, Dr. Jean-Michel Cohen, nutritionist, recalls a simple idea: eating more slowly may help you feel fuller and adjust your portions. It’s not a miracle method for losing weight, but a useful habit, especially if it remains focused on pleasure and sensations.
Why slowing down can help while eating
Does eating slowly help you eat less? The expert’s response is positive but nuanced.
One of the points highlighted is chewing. Chewing more prepares the meal to be better digested and prolongs contact with food.
Another interesting idea: by eating more slowly, we perceive the flavors better. The account speaks of “psychological satiation” to designate the pleasure linked to taste, textures, aromas. In other words, the meal is not just a quantity swallowed:
food pleasure also contributes to the feeling of having eaten enough.
This approach is consistent with advice often given in nutrition: slowing down allows you to become more attentive to what is happening on the plate and in the body. The account also mentions the fact of “eating mindfully”, that is to say the fact of taking the time to experience the meal rather than automatically following it. To go further, True Medical details how to better recognize your satiety signals.
“Take your time, relax and enjoy”.
On the other hand, we must avoid transforming this tip into a universal promise. Eating slowly does not guarantee greater satiety in everyonenor lasting weight loss alone. The rhythm of the meal can influence the portions at the time, but the weight depends on many factors: overall habits, physical activity, sleep, health, emotional context, possible treatments or even personal history.
What the data says, and how to try without pressure
French general public recommendations go in the same direction: Health Insurance advises, in the context of overweight or obesity in adults, to eat slowly, chew well and pay attention to sensations and flavors to better identify the moment when you are no longer hungry.
The available scientific data also suggests a possible effect on the quantities consumed during a meal. A systematic review and meta-analysis published inAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2014 concluded that a slower eating speed was associated with lower energy intake during the meal, compared to faster eating. But the magnitude of the effect varies depending on protocols, foods and people. It is therefore not a simple percentage applicable to all meals.
Important point: Reducing your portions during a meal does not automatically equate to losing weight. Experimental studies mainly focus on what is consumed at a given time. They do not prove, on their own, that a person will lose weight sustainably by eating more slowly. It’s best to think of this habit as a listening tool, not a strict rule.
To try it in a concrete way, without counting or judging yourself, a few guidelines can help:
- Chew well before swallowing, allowing time for textures and tastes to be perceived;
- Pay attention to the flavors, temperature, smells and enjoyment of the dish;
- Make the meal a real time, even if short, rather than a moment sent on autopilot;
- Ask yourself, as the meal progresses, if hunger diminishes and if the desire to continue still comes from need or above all from automatism.
This approach can be integrated into simple eating habits, without seeking perfection. The objective is not to eat slowly at all costs, but to find a margin of choice: to recognize when the meal still feels good, and when it is possible to stop comfortably.
Finally, if eating is accompanied by anxiety, compulsions, strong restrictions or repeated loss of control, “slimming” type advice should not replace appropriate care. In this case, it is best to speak to a health professional trained in eating disorders.