Fast eaters at greater risk from diabetes

People who are fast eaters are much more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who eat at a slower rate, according to a new study from Lithuania.
The research, which compared 234 patients who had recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes with 468 patients who did not have the condition, revealed that those who ate faster were at a two and a half times greater risk of suffering from diabetes. The scientists asked the participants to complete a survey to gather data on potential risk factors for diabetes, so that they could assess the effect of eating speed on the likelihood of becoming diabetic. Factors such as body mass index (BMI), family history of the disease, amount of physical exercise taken and smoking, were taken into account.
It was shown that there was over a two-fold increase in the chances of developing of type 2 diabetes for those who exhibited faster eating than those who didn’t, as well as them having a higher BMI and a substantially lower education level than the control group.
Study leader Lina Radzeviciene, of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, commented “The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing globally and becoming a world pandemic.”
She added “It appears to involve interaction between susceptible genetic backgrounds and environmental factors. It’s important to identify modifiable risk factors that may help people reduce their chances of developing the disease.”