the training aspect of using the mandometer was to some extent permanent

The importance of eating slowly has been underlined recently by a new survey which looked into the eating habits of children and saw that those ones who were taught to eat slowly were more likely to reach weight loss goals.

The study made use of a device known as a mandometer which weighs the food on your plate and links it to a screen which then tells you how fast you are eating. Each mouthful lightens the plate and this information along with the time taken displays a training curve which can be compared to the ideal eating speed. If they eat too fast the computer warns them to slow down and the children are also asked how hungry they feel during the course of the meal.

The mandometer which was used on children between the ages of 9 and 17 was very useful in getting the children to slow down their eating. It was seen that those children who used the mandometer over the course of a year ended up with significantly more weight loss than those who did not.

Six months after the study finished and the use of the mandometer was discontinued the weight loss in those children who had used it was still apparent therefore suggesting that the training aspect of using the mandometer was to some extent permanent. The study which was done by weight loss researchers in Bristol was funded by BUPA and published by the British Medical Journal.

We’re not suggesting that if you have an overweight child you should immediately go out and buy a mandometer but just that you should know that if your children are eating very quickly they have a much higher likelihood of becoming overweight or obese. You may find that by making a determined effort to make your children eat slowly and by dragging out the time that you sit at table you will make a significant difference to their weight and their health.