“Slow down,” I’d recommend to people who scarfed down their foods. “You’re not even tasting what you’re eating.

“And — by the way,” I’d add, “You’ll eat less if you do so.”

That platitude is now a proven fact — at least according to researchers at the University of Rhode Island. Their study, reported in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that people who take small bites, putting down their fork between those bites and thoroughly chewing their food felt fuller and ate less than those who ate quickly. And, those who ate quickly consumed more food in a shorter period and weren’t as satisfied.

Bottom line: one simple way to shed a couple of pounds is to eat much more slowly.