Chewing your food for longer ‘could be the key to weight loss’

Forget fad diets, and sneakily using smaller plates to con yourself into eating less – the secret of weight loss could be as simple as chewing for longer.

It seems British parents were actually right when they urged their offspring to chew properly rather than gulping down their dinners.

In a TV experiment, women were asked to chew each forkful of a pasta dish 35 times – with another group chewing a mere 15 times.

The women who chewed 35 times ate a huge amount less food – around 30% less – eating 342 calories on average, in contrast to the fast chewers’ 468.

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Dr van Tulleken said yesterday: ‘Scientists have long known that the chewing process helps break food down into smaller particles, exposing it to saliva which allows for efficient digestion.

‘But they now believe chewing could help trigger the release of hormones which signal appetite and fullness to us as well.’

‘This difference of 126 calories in just one meal is astounding. It proves that chewing really is a safe, free, and proven diet tool with absolutely no side effects.’