A new study out of Japan says eating your food too quickly and until you're full triples your chances of being obese.

"The old wives' tale about chewing everything 20 times might be true - if you did take a bit more time eating, it could have an impact," the BBC quoted Professor Ian McDonald of the University of Nottingham.

"If you eat quickly you basically fill your stomach before your gastric feedback has a chance to start developing - you can overfill the thing," he explained.

Researchers found that fast food is part of the problem.

More people are eating on the run rather than sitting down around the family table.

They also point to cheaper foods that are more energy-dense and in larger portions.

The new study was published online by the British Medical Journal.

Source: The BBC, CBN News