Michael Mosley says the water trick reduces the risk of weight gain and diabetes

Health expert Dr. Michael Mosley says how you eat — as well as what you eat — can reduce your risk of gaining weight and developing type 2 diabetes. The Just One Thing podcast host and respected TV host says eating slowly has important health benefits.

The diet’s author and creator says the eating style also reduces bloating by reducing the amount of air you swallow with your food. Writing in MailOnline, Dr Mosley said: ‘The reason eating leads to rapid weight gain is that it affects the release of hunger-suppressing hormones such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which is a natural version of drugs like Ozempic that are currently causing such excitement in the weight loss world.

“Eating at a more leisurely pace gives your body more time to tell your brain that you’ve had enough. That’s because it normally takes about 30-40 minutes after you eat for food to get from your stomach to your small intestine, where it exists. receptors that sense the arrival of food and release GLP-1 – this tells the brain you’re full if you eat quickly, then you can add a lot more calories before you know you’re full.”

Dr Mosley said a 2018 study of almost 60,000 people found that slow eaters were 42 per cent less likely to be obese. And a 2023 study by Professor Tim Spector and researchers at Zoe Nutrition found that fast eaters eat more and see their blood sugar levels rise.

That study found that fast eaters were a stone heavier than slow eaters, on average.

Dr. Mosley says to encourage slow eating, you should eat at a table instead of at a desk or in front of the TV or “on the run.”

He said foods cooked from scratch will have more fiber than ultra-processed foods and take longer to eat. You can also slow down your eating by taking a sip of water between each mouthful of food.

Dr Mosley said: “Be mindful of what you eat and really enjoy your food. Eating should be a pleasure, not just a way to fuel yourself.”