Fast-eating Kids with Low Chewing Ability Prone to Obesity

Jiji Press

11:06 JST, June 5, 2025

OSAKA (Jiji Press) — Eating fast without chewing much may result in obesity among elementary school students, a Japanese research team has found.

It has already been known that fast-eating adults with poor chewing performance are prone to obesity. But little known was a relation between eating habits and masticatory performance among children.

In their research, Kazunori Ikebe, professor at the University of Osaka’s Graduate School of Dentistry, and colleagues assessed eating habits of 1,403 fourth graders in the city of Osaka via questionnaires and measured their chewing performance using a color-changing gum. Of the study participants, 167 students were classified into the obesity group.

Then the researchers found through the comparison between the obesity and non-obesity groups that children with a weaker ability to chew were 1.54 times more prone to obesity, fast eaters 1.73 times more and those who eat with their mouth full 1.29 times more.

“In 9- to 10-year-old children, eating fast, eating with mouth full, and lower masticatory performance were linked to obesity, particularly in boys,” they said. “Furthermore, the association with obesity was higher when eating fast and lower masticatory performance were combined.”

Highlighting the significance of the finding that child obesity is linked to both eating habits and chewing performance, Ikebe said, “I want to see if there are any changes [in obesity factors] as children get older.”

The research was published in the Journal of Dentistry in March.