Eating quickly is a common habit linked with weight gain

Called The Mandometer, the device keeps track during meal times of how quickly food is eaten, and tells the user if they are eating too fast – a common habit with weight gain.

106 children were used in the study by the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the University of Bristol, reported by the British Medical Journal, and after a year of use, the children weighed less and ate smaller portions.

Their speed of eating was reduced by 11% compared with an increase of 4% in a comparison group.

The Mandometer was originally designed to help bulimia patients, who tend to eat very fast. The device plots a graph showing the rate at which food is eaten, and compares it with an “ideal” graph programmed by a food therapist.

Lead researcher Professor Julian Hamilton-Shield said, ‘Their portion sizes decreased by a seventh. Even though this may not sound a lot, it is enough to make a difference. And the improvement seems to be durable because it continued six months after the trial finished. What tends to happen when we eat alone or while watching the TV is we eat more quickly. Then we miss the signals that tell us we are full up and to stop eating.’