I recently listened to a talk about eating disorders and our relationship with food. It turned out to be just as interesting from a biochemistry and digestion point of view. So many gut problems, nutrient gaps and struggles with food have one thing at their root: with our modern pace of life, digestion goes wrong from the very first step — in the mouth.

What happens when we eat with our phones?

1. Mindful eating switches off. When you’re focused on a screen, you lose touch with your body’s fullness signals. People eat 10–25% more per meal without noticing. Your brain simply doesn’t have time to register “I’m full”.
2. Less saliva, enzymes and stomach acid. Digestion starts in the mouth and depends heavily on the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous system. When you watch videos — especially negative content — or argue in the comments, your sympathetic “fight or flight” system takes over. The result: less saliva and amylase, poorer breakdown of carbs, less stomach acid and pepsin, slower gut movement and less bile. Food is digested less well, and you get heaviness, bloating and reflux. Stress and distraction at meals slow your stomach and reduce digestive juices.
3. Hunger and fullness hormones get out of balance. Distraction disrupts the gut–brain connection. Ghrelin (the hunger hormone) keeps being released for longer than it should, and the brain responds less to leptin (the fullness hormone). This is one reason screen-time eating leads to overeating and weight gain.
4. Gut bacteria become less diverse. When food isn’t broken down well higher up, more undigested particles reach the large intestine. This shifts your gut bacteria towards less friendly species and can trigger inflammation.
5. Food stops being enjoyable. The dopamine hit from scrolling is stronger than the pleasure of taste. Over time, your brain “downgrades” normal food, and you start craving stronger flavours — salt, sugar, fat. Eating deserves to be its own activity, with your full attention.

Children and adults who eat in front of the TV or a phone have a higher risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

What to do

One simple rule makes a big difference: give yourself 20–30 minutes at the table — no phone, no laptop, no TV. Just your food and attention to its taste, texture and smell. When did you last let yourself simply eat in quiet, without rushing? The talk also mentioned that certain music can make food taste better — I haven’t tried that yet.

Take a moment to be grateful for your food. Think about what it’s made of, who cooked, grew and sold it, and the journey it took to reach your plate.

Chew slowly, and don’t take the next bite while the last one is still in your mouth. Aim for 20–30 chews per mouthful to get digestion properly started in your mouth.

If you’re not sure where to start with your digestion, this is your first step.

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General information only, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, please talk to your GP.