Pacing oneself while eating may do more than protect someone from choking. It also controls the speed at which the body takes in energy, which may have consequences for weight loss.

Researchers from the University of Rhode Island conducted two studies that investigated different rates and speeds of food consumption. In the first study, subjects reported themselves as fast, medium-speed or slow eaters, which ultimately averaged out to people eating 3.1, 2.5 or 2 ounces of food per minute, respectively. Results showed that men tended to eat faster than women. However, men who said they ate slowly consumed food at a speed similar to women who described themselves as fast eaters.

In a second study, the team discovered that people who have higher body mass indices tended to eat faster than individuals with lower scores. Furthermore, whole grains, which are more fibrous, required subjects to chew their food more slowly.

The researchers believe that, taken together, these studies suggest that eating slowly can reduce calorie consumption.

"It takes time for your body to process fullness signals, so slower eating may allow time for fullness to register in the brain before you've eaten too much," said researcher Kathleen Melanson.

Further studies will be needed to thoroughly characterize the relationship between eating speed and body mass index, according to the researchers.