Almost one-third (31%) of people in the UK believe that eating too quickly has caused them to be overweight, research* from Heston Blumenthal OBE has found.
The survey of British adults reports that 34% believe they eat too quickly, with 56% of people eating breakfast within ten minutes, while 28% say the same about lunch. Two-fifths of people eat dinner within 20 minutes.
The research also reveals people are often distracted when eating. Almost half (47%) say they usually consume their evening meal in front of the television, while one in five say they eat lunch at their desk most of the time during the week.
When asked which of their senses are engaged when eating, more than two-fifths (41%) say they are not fully engaged with the taste, while two-thirds say they are not fully engaged with smell.
Those figures climb to almost three-quarters (73%) for sight; 91% for touch and 94% for sound.
Eating quickly has long been linked to various health implications, including weight gain and diabetes,** largely because the stomach takes around 20 minutes to send signals to the brain that it is full. When people eat quickly, they tend not to feel full and are more likely to overeat.
As more individuals place health as a top priority, the concept of mindful eating – taking the time to enjoy food and recognise when you are sated – has begun to gain traction as a way of potentially achieving that priority.
Heston was an early advocate of this approach and its benefits, suggesting in the media more than a decade ago that people could explore this for themselves by mindfully eating a raisin. He recommended slowing down during eating and taking time to focus on the flavours, the textures, the aromas, as well as the sensations, impressions and emotions, giving the opportunity to engage with food in a different, more receptive and considered way that could promote beneficial feelings of wellbeing – a kind of gastronomic ‘living in the moment’.
The Mindful Experience at The Fat Duck
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Heston Blumenthal OBE and his team at The Fat Duck have continued to explore this idea, and in September they launched The Mindful Experience – the first Michelin-starred restaurant to address diners’ evolving appetites in this way. The Mindful Experience is a version of The Fat Duck’s ‘Journey’ menu, scaled back in terms of the size of the dishes, but designed to retain the same impact of texture and flavour. Both The Mindful Experience and Journey menus will be available at the restaurant, and diners can book which they prefer.
To sample the Mindful Experience, visit https://thefatduck.co.uk/book-your-ticket
