• The Relationship between Eating Speed and the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
  • Sahar Foshati,1,* Siavash Babajaafari,2
    1. Nutrition Research Center, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
    2. Nutrition Research Center, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran


  • Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex disorder characterized by high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and impaired blood glucose and insulin metabolism. This disorder increases the risk of ovarian cysts, fatty liver, sleep disorders, asthma, gallstones, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some cancers. We sought to explore the association between eating speed and the risk of MetS in the present review article.
  • Methods: Multiple databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science as well as Google Scholar search engine were searched using appropriate keywords up to the middle of 2023. The keywords used were “metabolic syndrome” or “MetS” and “eating speed”.
  • Results: Two cross-sectional studies found no significant association between fast or slow eating and the risk of MetS. However, eight cross-sectional studies and one cohort study reported that fast eaters had a significantly higher risk of developing MetS than slow eaters. Two studies have even shown that the risk of MetS was significantly increased in fast eaters than moderate-speed eaters. In addition, the results of a cohort study found a significant reduction in the risk of MetS in adults with slow eating speed. Fast eating speed seems to increase the risk of developing MetS through overeating and extra energy intake, impaired satiety signaling, poor nutrient absorption, causing insulin resistance, and dysregulation of gut microbiota.
  • Conclusion: It seems that eating slowly is a simple, inexpensive, and practical strategy to reduce the risk of MetS and its consequences. Nevertheless, interventional studies should be designed to establish the relationship between eating speed and the risk of MetS.
  • Keywords: Metabolic Syndrome, Eating Speed, Fast Eaters, Slow Eaters