Could Your Dentist Be Your Weight Coach?
By Teresa Ambord
For people trying to manage their weight but not having much success, there is a new ally. Studies suggest that one reason Americans are packing on the pounds is that we tend to eat on the go, wedging quick meals into our busy lives. And if the trend of so many Americans reaching the obesity stage continues as it has, obesity could eventually overtake smoking as the number one cause of preventable death in the United States.
Weight management specialists who have studied other countries where weight is much less of a problem have found a common thread. In other cultures, such as France and Japan, people eat their meals slowly, savoring every bite. Meals are events during which families are expected to visit and catch up with each other. That seems to be a factor of family life that Americans are leaving behind more and more. And in the process, as meals become more hurried, they are layering on extra weight.
The Research
Research has shown that if we slow down, take smaller bites, and chew carefully, we tend to eat less. Chewing slower makes digestion easier, which is good for general well-being. And the slower pace gives us a chance to feel full before we eat more than we need. Studies show that it takes 15 to 20 minutes for our bodies to realize that we’ve had enough. In today’s world, in 15 minutes we’ve already eaten a meal, decided it wasn’t enough, and gone back for more before we know we’ve had plenty.
Your Mother Was Right All Along
But this is not new advice. Mothers have been telling their children for years to chew their food well and not gulp it down. The new ally in weight control was the brainchild of a woman born with an oddly configured palate. The shape of her palate made her mouth very small, forcing her to take limited bites. She credits her lifelong slim figure to her inability to eat fast. She patented her idea and licensed it to the CEO of Scientific Intake, and a new weight management tool was born.
Scientific Intake created a dental appliance designed to help you slow down. It looks something like a retainer, which is custom-fitted to the roof of your mouth. The result is, the size of your mouth is temporarily reduced, allowing you to take only small bites. You wear it only at mealtime; it doesn’t interfere with swallowing; and it affects your speech just slightly.
The Results
Studies performed at Penningtion Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University show that research participants ate an average of 25 percent less food, simply because it took longer.
The Downside and the Upside
The appliances do not come cheap. They run between $400 and $600. But as with any new product, the price is likely to come down in the future.
Critics might say that a person should just learn to take smaller bites and slow down on their own. That’s a valid argument, though if people who overeat had that much discipline they probably would not overeat in the first place. The upside is, this is a totally natural, drug-free, starvation-free way to modify your behavior.
These dental devices are not recommended for children under 18 or for people with eating disorders.
