Women who rush through meals are twice as likely to be overweight, regardless of what they eat, according to a Japanese study in the British Journal of Medicine.
The problem: Wolfing down food may not give your brain enough time to realize youre full, researchers say, so you keep eating and stuff yourself. (Eating in front of the TV may have similar drawbacks.) And some meals (think fast food) offer a double whammy: They are loaded with calories and easy to gobble fast.
One trick for slowing down: Chew longer. Sure, youve heard it before, but it works—another small study shows chewing each bite 20 to 30 times cuts calories.