Number of words: 181

But eating while harried or preoccupied does us no good. Our natural response to stress is good old fight or flight, rather than fill-your-face. The body sends blood to our muscles so that we’re ready for action, rather than to the stomach in preparation for digestion. It’s hardly a recipe for satisfaction. A Japanese study of 4,700 volunteers found that fast eaters weigh on average 7 kilos more than slow chewers. The researchers believe that eating too fast generates excessive insulin and may increase one’s risk of diabetes. Being preoccupied or stressed while eating also makes us overeat, particularly if we’re trying to stick to a diet, according to the journal Appetite. Your mind fails to experience the full spectrum of pleasure that it can obtain from consuming food. The ‘I’ve eaten loads, thank you’ message fails to get sent from brain to body, and snacky pangs soon return. The effect is particularly strong with children who eat in front of the television. 

Excerpted from pages 67 to 68 of Enough: breaking free from the world of excess by John Naish