If you want to reduce diabetes type-2, listen to your parents' advice about eating slowly. New research has shown that people who eat fast are more than 2.5 times more likely to suffer from Type 2 diabetes than those who eat their food slowly.

The present study is said to be the first scientific study done on slow eating and the risk type 2 diabetes. According to researchers, eating at a faster rate is an independent risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

"The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing globally and becoming a world pandemic. It appears to involve interaction between susceptible genetic backgrounds and environmental factors. It's important to identify modifiable risk factors that may help people reduce their chances of developing the disease," commented lead author of the study Dr Lina Radzeviciene, from the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, CORDIS reports.

The study was presented by a research team from Lithuania at the recent joint International Congress of Endocrinology and European Congress of Endocrinology in Florence, Italy.

The study analyzed lifestyle habits of some 234 participants diagnosed with diabetes and compared them with lifestyle habits of some 468 participants who did not have diabetes. Detailed information regarding weight and height and about eating habits was collected from all participants.

After adjusting other criteria like genetic factors, waist circumference, cigarette smoking, cholesterol levels etc., they found that people who ate fast were 2.5 times more likely to suffer from diabetes type-2.

A related study published in Behavior Therapy says that increasing time taken to eat a meal is associated with greater weight loss. A similar study says eating slowly might maximize satiation and reduce energy intake within meals.

Many experts believe that eating with full attention keeps people away from consuming more calories. It is possible for people to eat all kinds of food without overindulging in anything. Mindful eating and can help in preventing weight gain. However, mindful eating can even help people who are thin and want to put on more weight.

The study was presented at a conference and should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.