The 100 Bites Diet: How It Helps With Weight Loss

Research has suggested that the way people eat may have a lot to do with their ability to lose weight.

Scientists at Clemson University in South Carolina created the "Bite Monitor", which appears similar to a watch to give specific details on how people bite and chew. Since researchers estimated that 100 bites a day is ideal for weight loss. For a span of two weeks, the study showed that the average calorie total for every bite was 11 calories for women and 17 calories for men. The product is said to be priced at $195.

In a report by The Wall Street Journal, "If people take 100 bites a day, it makes the daily caloric target about 1,700 calories for men and 1,100 calories for women. These targets represent a low-calorie diet according to National Institutes of Health standards."

Another health-care group, Mando Group AB, created a "talking plate" which indicates to individuals their eating speed and provides an assessment to their fullness. The product is expected to be available later in 2014 for $250. Another product, the HAPIfork by Hapilabs Ltd, will vibrate and flash a red light if the user's bites are less than 10 seconds in between. The product will be available for $99.

According to Michael Jensen, an obesity expert at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, "If you're eating too fast, you're probably not chewing and enjoying your food very well and you're probably going to be more likely" to eat too much.

Based on a research published in the Wall Street Journal, people have to eat slower and take smaller bites. Chewing every bite will matter more in losing weight compared to the kind of food that people are eating. When people eat their food slower, they improve digestion and allow their bodies to absorb nutrients more effectively.

Another study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2001, showed that individuals who chewed their food 40 times for every mouthful, compared to the usual 15 times, took in fewer calories and had lower levels of ghrelin, a hormone that boosts appetite. They also have higher levels of the hormone that suppresses appetite.

Using the special products above will help people calculate and time their meals properly, so they consume fewer calories. Others can get used to the practice and develop the habit of chewing their meals well before swallowing. These basic practices, coupled with choosing the right types of food, can help prevent obesity and diseases related to an unhealthy weight.