Use of a pamphlet to encourage individuals to eat slowly to help reduce the development of metabolic syndrome

Abstract

We examined how distributing a pamphlet that encourages individuals to eat food slowly can help reduce the development of metabolic syndrome among workers who regularly undergo health checkups in the workplace. We prepared an educational dietary pamphlet that provided information on reducing the speed of eating and the importance of eating slowly and distributed it to C municipal officials who visited their workplace clinic for a medical checkup in 2013. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) for the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or greater, by comparing workers before and after the pamphlet distribution. The educational pamphlet helped to reduce the development of MetS in males (OR: 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70-1.0), but not in females (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 0.88-2.4). The pamphlet helped to reduce the development of obesity in females (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.32-0.83), but not in males (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.70-1.1). The distribution of an educational pamphlet that provided information on how to eat food slowly/the importance of eating food slowly helped reduce the development of MetS in males and the development of obesity in females.