This case-control study was conducted to assess the relationship between eating speed and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus; subjects included 234 cases with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and 468 non-diabetic controls. A specifically designed questionnaire was used to collect information on possible risk factors of type 2 diabetes. The speed of eating was self-reported by study subjects compared to other subjects, with whom they were eating at the same table. The OR and 95% CI for type 2 diabetes were calculated by a conditional logistic regression. Variables such as a family history of diabetes, body mass index, waist circumference, educational level, morning exercise, smoking, and plasma triglycerides level were retained in multivariate logistic regression models as confounders because their inclusion changed the value of the OR by more than 5% in any exposure category. After adjustment for possible confounders, subjects who ate faster had more than a two-fold increased risk of type 2 diabetes (OR = 2.52; 95% CI 1.56-4.06) compared to subjects who ate more slowly. This result supports a possible relationship between faster eating speed and the increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clin Nutr. 2012 Jul 14. PMID: 22800734
