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Since my mom was diagnosed with dementia, she has a VERY good appetite. She will eat fast but not get sick. If I was with her, I would have her slow down. She is in a facility where they are taking good care of her. We live in Indiana.

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What an interesting question! One I don’t have the answer to, though other posters have given you some plausible explanations. My mother is an extremely slow eater. She has been like this for decades (she is now 88). She takes an hour to an hour and a half to eat a normal meal - and this is often leaving most of it left uneaten! There are times she has taken two hours! Though feeding herself is about the only ADL she has, she is quite capable of it. I wonder if she is just savoring this last ability left to her! The staff in the cafeteria just clean around her because she is allowed to take as much time as she wants. Over the years she has gained a lot of weight which contributed to her mobility problems. I always thought her weight gain was due to her many psychiatric drugs, but your question made me wonder. Taking so long to eat leaves a very short window of time between meals, and when you add in the snack times they also provide, there is not a whole lot of time in which my mother is not eating.
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I think it may be a habitual thing. Some eat fast because they didn’t have a long lunch break at school or work. Some don’t like wasting time. They do everything fast. Some people talk a mile a minute! The habit stuck with them.

Others eat slowly because they truly savor the taste and are relaxed, laid back individuals.

Why do you ask? Is she choking? Does she get indigestion?

Look at driving habits of some people. Some have a very heavy foot on the pedal! They don’t even realize they are driving fast. Others creep along with people honking behind them.
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Judy79 Feb 2020
She is 89. I think that she started doing that after she was diagnosed with early stage dementia and in the first facility. Maybe she needs to eat more often,smaller meals? I need to get her some more snacks for her room.
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I believe they become like small children. It may be she eats fast because she is afraid someone will take her food. What was her life as a child? Probably born during the Depression.
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Judy79 Feb 2020
Mom is 89. Things were okay as a child. Like I told needhelpwithmom, I probably need to get her snacks for her to munch on during the day. She is starting to put on weight also. She is at a good facility where they do care well for the people.
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Why do people eat slow? Everybody's different with different eating habits, is the answer to your question. Whether your mother eats quickly or slowly, she has a good appetite and THAT is what counts, right? :)
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