September 1/Dunedin, New Zealand/University of Otago -- Women eating food hurriedly may end up gaining weight instead nutrition from the food. Researchers of University of Otago have studied 1,500 women, belonging to the age group of 40-50, on influence of eating food at a faster pace on weight of the body.

They found that with every increase in the level of speed while eating meal, the Body Mass Index increased by 2.8%, which resulted in weight gain by 1.95kg. The researchers commenced their study in correspondence to factors like age, traditions, habit of smoking, and menopause condition, revealed head researcher Dr .Caroline Horwath.

The researchers have also found that women in their 40s and 50s habituated to consume food at a moderate speed were at a lesser risk of weight gain, and suffering from the condition of obesity.

However, the researchers so far have found a negligible impact of fast-eating habit on the body weight of women. Horwath aspires to commence further tests on motivating women to take up slow eating and observe its effect on BMI.

As per Horwath, "If such interventions prove effective, they could be used alongside non-dieting approaches we have trialed. These approaches prevented weight gain at risk women and even produced weight loss in some”.

From the September 1, 2011,Prepared Foods' Daily News.