Eating Behavior and Energy Regulation

Eating behaviour and energy regulation are intimately linked through a dynamic interplay of physiological, sensory and environmental factors that govern food intake and energy balance. Central nervous system circuits integrate hormonal signals—such as leptin, ghrelin and insulin—with peripheral feedback from the gastrointestinal tract to modulate hunger, satiety and meal termination. Eating rate and oral processing behaviours affect the tempo of energy delivery, altering postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses and shaping intermeal intervals. Food characteristics, including texture, energy density and macronutrient composition, influence bite size, chewing effort and the sensory experience of eating, thereby modulating overall energy intake. Habitual patterns of fast consumption or irregular meal timing have been associated with excess weight gain, metabolic dysfunction and impaired appetite control. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for devising interventions to curb overeating, optimise dietary quality and address the global burden of obesity and related metabolic diseases.

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Eating Behavior and Energy Regulation publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in eating behavior and energy regulation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Eating rate: Speed at which food is ingested, typically measured in grams or calories per minute, influencing total energy intake and satiety signals.

Energy intake rate: Metric combining eating rate with food energy density (kcal/min), indicating the pace of calorie consumption.

Oral processing: Mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth, including chewing frequency and bite size, which affects eating rate and digestive kinetics.

Postprandial response: Physiological changes following a meal—particularly blood glucose and insulin dynamics—that inform subsequent hunger and fullness.

References

1. Association between fast eating speed and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a multicenter cross-sectional study and meta-analysis. Nutrition & Diabetes (2024).
2. Eating Vegetables First Regardless of Eating Speed Has a Significant Reducing Effect on Postprandial Blood Glucose and Insulin in Young Healthy Women: Randomized Controlled Cross-Over Study. Nutrients (2023).
3. Factors associated with eating rate: a systematic review and narrative synthesis informed by socio-ecological model.. Nutrition Research Reviews (2023).