Researchers have found that people who eat fast are at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to their slow eater counterparts.
A team at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences recruited 702 people, including 234 who had recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 468 healthy people, Press Tv Reported. When researchers asked participants about their eating habits, they found that people who ate their food faster than others were 2.5 times more likely to be diabetic.
The findings remained almost unchanged when they considered the effects of major diabetes risk factors such as obesity, smoking, diet and a family history of the illness, researchers said during the International Congress of Endocrinology and European Congress of Endocrinology in Florence, Italy.
“The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing globally and becoming a world pandemic,” said lead author Dr. Lina Radzeviciene.
“It appears to involve interaction between susceptible genetic backgrounds and environmental factors. It’s important to identify modifiable risk factors that may help people reduce their chances of developing the disease.”
Previous studies had found that people who ate quickly, ate more, and were more likely to become overweight.
Researchers believe that the digestive system of a fast eater does not get the chance to send the fullness signal to the brain. Some experts, however, believe that larger investigations are needed to support the findings of the new study.
