Association between the combination of speed-eating and eating until full and overweight/obesity in part-time high school students.

INTRODUCTION: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between overweight/obesity and the combined behavior of speed eating and eating until full among part-time high school students.

METHODS: In 2015, 2,507 male and female part-time high school students from Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, who completed a self-reported questionnaire on lifestyle were included in the analysis. Overweight/obesity was defined as a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or more. Responses regarding speed-eating and eating until full were obtained by self-reporting. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for overweight/obesity.

RESULTS: Among the participants, 340 (13.6%) were overweight/obese and 468 (18.7%) reported both speed-eating and eating until full. Compared to both neither speed-eating nor eating until full, after adjustment for sex, age, work pattern, physical activity level, sleep duration, frequency of picky eating, frequency of snack intake, fast food intake frequency, frequency of adding salty condiments, frequency of eating less food to save money, and survey schools, the OR (95% CI) for overweight/obesity in the speed-eating, not eating until full; eating until full, not speed-eating; and speed-eating and eating until full was 2.11 (1.38-3.22); 1.54 (1.12-2.10); and 2.94 (2.08-4.16), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The combination of speed-eating and eating until full were associated with overweight/obesity among part-time high school students independent of other lifestyle factors.