Mom was right!

She always told you to eat slowly and sit up straight.

Children who waited 30 seconds between each bite of food lost an average of 3.4% of their body weight during a year-long research project, while those who didn’t pace their eating saw their weight increase by as much as 12.6%, according to a new study published online in the journal Pediatric Obesity. The study focused on developing good table manners, rather than limiting portion size to curb overeating, the researchers said.

Slowing food intake may trigger feelings of fullness even after consuming less food, the study suggested. The so-called satiety signal, which is generated by hormones, enzymes and other factors in the gastrointestinal tract, normally develops about 15 minutes after the start of eating, regardless of the quantity of food consumed, the study said.

From 2011 to 2012, a research team from California and Mexico regularly monitored the height, weight and blood pressure of 68 school children, age 12 to 13 years old, in Durango, Mexico. At the start of the study, 43.1% were overweight or obese.

About half of the children received a 30-second hourglass for use at mealtimes. They were instructed to take a bite, flip the hourglass, and wait until it was empty before taking another bite. The children were also encouraged to drink a glass of water before meals, not talk and eat at the same time, and avoid second helpings and snacking.

And as far as sitting and standing straight, A small study in South Korea of 9 normal weight men aged 20-27 found that wearing fashionably tight pants may boost your self-image but hurt your back. The study found that wearing tight jeans altered the normal range of motion in the back and pelvis, causing excessive bending while moving between a sitting and standing position, compared with looser-fitting pants. Understanding how different types of clothing affect the movement of the spine and pelvis may be useful in preventing chronic musculoskeletal pain, researchers said. Constrictive clothing and accessories, such as tight belts, have been linked to heartburn, nerve pain, yeast infections and other health problems.

Special infrared cameras captured the motion of 16 reflective markers attached to their lower body as the subjects stood up at their own speed from a seated position, remained standing with an erect spine, and sat down again. The subjects performed the complete stand-to-sit movement four times, two wearing rugged cotton pants sized about 5% to 10% larger than the circumference of their hip, thigh and calf, and two wearing identical pants sized about 5% to 10% smaller.  

Compared with loose jeans, wearing tight pants significantly increased upper body bending, as well as the posterior pelvic tilt, during the complete stand-to-sit cycle.