Is this the weirdest diet tip ever?

Its not the chewing that does the trick its the waiting. The brain takes 15-20 minutes to switch from "hunger mode" to "full mode". eating slowly and listening to your body = eating less. eating less = less weight.

This is even better: take a bite and run around the block while chewing.

Uh not new !!! the Brazilians have done this forever and they tend to have hot bodies!

Eating slower actually will help you stay slim, due to your body feeling fuller before you've actually finished the meal. However, chewing each bite 40 times means either reheating it in the mircrowave numerous times, or learning to like cold food - neither a particularly appeatising thought. Eating smaller portions and waiting 15-20 minutes before you eat anything else (so that your brain actually registers, why yes, I actually AM full) is going to accomplish the same thing without the aggravation slow eating will cause for you, and for those with you!! Nothing worse than someone taking a bloody hour or more to eat a simple meal.

How about just chewing gum instead of snacking? Come on, I'm really going to chew my one bite of egg 40 times??? People, if you want to lose weight...PUT THE COOKIES DOWN! Are there still people out there who need to try crazy things like this? We ALL KNOW how to lose weight, quit the fast food, junk food and cheesecake binges. Simple as that. If that doesn't work for you then you have a medical problem you should see your doctor about..a problem definitley bigger than 40 chews can solve. Funny how most overweight people I see are sitting there looking for ways to lose wieght...while they shove the big mac and chips down their throats. LOL

how can you chew a peanut 40 times?

You'll end up with a chewed-up, tastless bolus, which takes all the enjoyment out of eating.

An article that came out last year in the Harvard Mental Health Letter suggests that eating slowly may help you achieve a feeling of fullness (http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-eating-slowly-may-help-you-feel-full-faster-20101019605).
Taken from http://blog.ingredienthotline.com/

20 chews feels like forever.. but 40? holy cow you will have cold food by the 5th bite

Now, I have always masticated 26 times..I know this exact number because I for some strange reason always "eat the alphabet"! lol! I have for years and years said my abc's as I chewed....guess it wasn't enough!

All of the thin people I know take forever to eat. They may have a point. But chewing mush makes me want to puke.

who eats and does not chew????

I'm just under 150 pounds, 5'10 & a guy of course. When I stop working out I lose weight in muscle, the more I can eat the better, do I have some kind of condition opposite from many people with overweight problems? Is this possibly a thyroid condition. People say what are you complaining about you jerk, but there is such thing as too skinny too! I have to work out harder to gain weight than to lose it?? Should I just chew LESS??

My father is 78, he takes forever to eat and has his entire life. He chews every mouthful 35 or 40 times. He's never been an ounce overweight his entire life and he'll likely outlive me. What he eats couldn't be considered "healthy" as my mother cooks old school...not a lot of fruit and any vegetables are boiled until they're mush. It would appear he is on to something.

Alice I agree, but there are also definite triggers that are set off when you chew, your body also registers crunchy foods as being more fulfilling. Perhaps it's an ancient metering system in the body... raw meat for example would require more gnawing and chewing than other foods but is also slower to leave the system... the amount of chewing might meter how much meat you can ingest. But hey, I'm no expert I just like to throw it out there and see what others think. :D in any case whatever you do don't forget that we eat to live not live to eat and that we require an amazingly small amount of nutrient rich food to thrive and be healthy...cheers

Great diet tip: Eat your 8 to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day and ignore any diet "advice."

Alot of WILLPOWER !!! That is my tip for dieting....

My goodness...grandma was right!
I remember hearing this many many years ago. I don't think she suggested 40 chews but it was certainly requested that one did not gulp down ones food.

I find when I eat slowly and savour my food I feel full and satisfied with far less.

DIGESTION starts in the mouth (mostly breaking down carbs).
Chewing stimulates the release of chemicals in our mouths and in our BRAINS that induce pleasure in the brain. While we chew well, some nutrients already go into your bloodstream sublingually (under your tongue).

The MORE you chew and digest food in your mouth (ie. by Chewing), the LESS the rest of your Digestive system needs to work and thus the less energy it expends in Digesting your food.

The more you chew your food, the more you can EASILY absorb food and it's nutrients, and the less energy you use up breaking down food in your intestinal tract. (and you experience less post-meal sleepiness which happens while your stomach and intestines use so much energy to digest any poorly chewed food). So... If you chew your food well, you'll RETAIN more energy, and you will GAIN more energy from your food.

QUESTION : How many of us have "eaten" corn and found complete kernals in our stool ? ....basically having not chewed the kernals and allowing them to pass through our entire digestive tract UNdigested ?!?
Not only have we not metabolized and gotten the nutrients from this corn food, but it is a total WASTE (excuse the pun) of the food we eat, and we are literally flushing our food down the toilet without haviing gotten any real nutrition from it.

As far as not having time to chew.....
We need to take the time to RELAX and Eat.

Our Health depends on it.

GOD BLESS !

Absolute true.Digestion process starts from mouth when saliva mixes with food.