Your brain needs time to process that you've had enough to eat.

Chewing your food thoroughly makes you eat more slowly, which is associated with decreased food intake, increased fullness and smaller portion sizes (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

How quickly you finish your meals may also affect your weight.

A recent review of 23 observational studies reported that faster eaters are more likely to gain weight than slower eaters (4Trusted Source).

Fast eaters are also much more likely to be obese.

To get into the habit of eating more slowly, it may help to count how many times you chew each bite.