It really is fast food: Brits take just 41 minutes a day to wolf down breakfast, lunch and dinner because we're so busy
- One in three admit scoffing meals at high speed due to work pressure
- Average length of breakfast is just 8 minutes - and 14 minutes for lunch
- Experts warn eating too quickly can contribute to digestive problems
Desperate measures: People wolf down their lunches in just 14 minutes, often at their desks
The average Briton spends a total of just 41 minutes a day eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, a survey has found.
One in three of us admits to wolfing down meals because we are 'too busy at work'.
Sixteen per cent – one in six – eat breakfast at their desk, rising to 30 per cent for lunch. Four per cent have dinner at work.
Breakfast takes up an average eight minutes, lunch 13 minutes and 45 seconds and dinner 19 minutes and 27 seconds.
Gastroenterologist Dr Anton Emmanuel warned: 'Eating too quickly, overeating and not chewing your food properly can contribute to digestive health problems.
'It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it is full, so eating more slowly means you may eat less, and therefore safeguard your gut from digestive problems.'
The survey of 2,018 people was carried out by drug brand Imodium and suggested those aged between 25 and 44 were in the most urgent hurry.
It also found 16 per cent of younger respondents wolfed down their breakfast while standing in the kitchen - and 7 per cent of people ate it on public transport.
Just 41 per cent of people eat lunch at a table, while 30 per cent eat at their desk and 4 per cent regularly eat it behind the wheel of their car.
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Life coach Sophia Davis said: 'City workers often abandon their full lunch hour, rushing it between meetings.
'As stress can be a contributor to digestive health problems including diarrhoea, it is important to try and make time for regular meal breaks, and become more mindful when eating our food.
Family meal: But the average respondent to the survey spent just 19 minutes on dinner (posed by models)
'The trick is to look at your daily schedule and make a point of setting aside time for your lunch - taking a 20 minute break will make a world of difference if you can switch off from work for the duration.
'Distractions such as TV can also impact on our speed of eating and overall enjoyment of our food, so try turning off all electrical devices.'
The study suggested more than a quarter of respondents suffered from indigestion, and 7 per cent were constipated.
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