Both eating till feeling full and rapid eating are associated with clustering of psychosomatic problems and...

Both eating till feeling full and eating rapidly may increase metabolic risk factors including obesity. The associations of such habits with psychosomatic problems and preference for strong tastes require further exploration.

The associations between various eating behaviors and 12 psychosomatic problems (mental burden, sleep disorder, tendency to palpitation, diarrhea, pessimism, amnesia, anger, poor personal relationship, fatigue, epigastric distress, shoulder stiffness, and lumbago), and preference for strong tastes were compared in 8240 men and 2955 women who underwent routine health examinations. The subjects were divided into four groups defined by subjective reporting - G1: not eating till feeling full and not eating rapidly; G2: eating till feeling full only; G3: eating rapidly only; G4: eating both rapidly and till feeling full.

Compared to G1, the age-adjusted odds ratios were significantly higher in G2-G4 for mental burden [1.17 (1.01-1.35), 1.26 (1.14-1.41), 1.50 (1.31-1.73) in men; and 1.28 (1.003-1.62), 1.50 (1.21-1.85), 1.94 (1.50-2.51) in women], and for 8, 8, 11 items in men and 9, 6, 11 items in women among 11 psychosomatic problems other than mental burden, and for preference for strong tastes [2.25 (1.91-2.64), 1.89 (1.67-2.14), 3.36 (2.89-3.91) in men; and 3.26 (2.34-4.51), 2.88 (2.10-3.93), 5.59 (4.02-7.78) in women].

Both eating till feeling full and eating rapidly are associated with mental burden, clustering of psychosomatic problems and a preference for strong tastes. Mental consultation and attention to choosing mild tasting foods may alleviate such eating behaviors and improve health.