Eating quickly has been linked to overeating and obesity.

A new study by the Endocrinology Society helps explain why people who eat on the run or gulp their food may want to take it easy when it comes to mealtime.

The study shows that rapid eating slows the release of certain peptide hormones in the gut that act on the brain to induce the feeling of fullness.

Until now, concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones have not been examined in the context of different rates of eating. As part of the study, participants consumed equal amounts of ice cream, but at different rates.

Researchers took blood samples to measure glucose, insulin, plasma lipids and gut hormones before the meal and at 30-minute intervals after the beginning of eating, until the end of the session, three and a half hours later.

People who took the full 30 minutes to finish the ice cream had higher concentrations of the specific “fullness hormones” and also tended to feel fuller. Researchers hope to use the study to teach children that “wolfing” your food can make you fat.

It is a good reason to enjoy family meals where conversation and relaxed time are just as important as the food you put in your mouth.