Subject: Eat Slowly and Stay Fit [Print This Page] Author:
jake Time: 4-11-2008 06:25 PM Subject: Eat Slowly and Stay Fit
The way you eat determines your weight
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Eating contests are especially dangerous for both the stomach and the liver
Dietitians and doctors draw attention to the fact that the speed with which someone eats is one of the major factors that influence the way nutrients are absorbed by the intestines and distributed throughout the body. Also, if every meal is eaten to the last bit or until the stomach is full, most likely the person who does that will end up being overweight in no time. The energy stored inside foods needs time to be absorbed, experts say.
Eating habits have undergone huge transformations during the past few decades, from an old-style, family gathering, to fast foods and eating in front of the TV set. Free time also became sparser, so more and more people began eating very much very fast in the one- or two-hour breaks most companies offer their employees. While rich protein foods were scarcely available 50 years ago, the development of super-malls meant that huge amounts of food reached the population.
The human body was not built to store its energy for long periods of time in the form of fat. This only happens under special circumstances, when a person is subjected to a harsh environment, like Eskimos, for instance. But, inside city sprawls, eating fast and only once a day is a very spread habit. Health experts point at some of these factors as an explanation for the obesity pandemic that affects nearly one in two Americans.
Doctors caution people that it's extremely important to be tempered when eating, meaning that we all should eat balanced portions of all foods, and not exceed a decent limit. Also, parents should always encourage children to eat slowly and chew their food, as this makes the job of the stomach much easier and the kids run lower risks of getting large fat deposits.
Also, inside families, all meals should take place in a room that offers no distractions, such as TV programs and the likes. All these pieces of advice are crucial in preventing obesity, as statistics show that all those who eat rapidly and until they are full risk gaining weight very very quickly.