How shopping, sex and eating are all far too quick for our own good

Published on Sunday 17 February 2008 20:54

SCOTS are living their lives at breakneck speeds and face suffering a meltdown unless they change their habits, research claimed yesterday.

Everything from meals and spending to sex is rushed as people struggle to fit their lives into tighter schedules. Psychologists and health experts warned that the pace of life needed to slow down or wellbeing could be put at risk.

Research involving almost 2,000 people found fast-living was common across the UK.

Scots were among the nation's fastest eaters, with more than half (53 per cent) spending less than 15 minutes eating their evening meal, compared to 48 per cent in the UK as a whole. Time pressures were also felt in the bedroom, as exhausted Britons rush lovemaking to get some sleep.

The survey, conducted by Virgin Media, found 30 per cent of people admitted they spent less than 20 minutes having sex.

In Scotland, 13 per cent said they spent 10 minutes or less making love, compared to 7 per cent in London.

People are also spending their money faster. Across the UK, almost a fifth (17 per cent) admitted spending their entire monthly wage in the first week of the month, while 3 per cent claimed to spend it all within a day of getting paid.

In Scotland, 13 per cent said they spent their wages in the first week after pay day.

Geordies were the speediest spenders, with 25 per cent frittering away their pay within a week and 8 per cent spending it in a day. In comparison, people in Yorkshire were the most frugal, with 50 per cent claiming their salary lasted until the end of the month.

Psychologist Honey Langcaster-James said Britons were now living at a "crazy pace". She said: "The question we have to ask ourselves is, where is this going to end? In a few years' time, are we going to see ourselves spending even less time with loved ones and bolting down meals in just a few seconds?

"There is a real danger people are heading for meltdown unless we slow down and realise that there are only so many hours in the day in which to get everything done."

Ms Langcaster-James said if Britons continued to live their lives at such speed, they risked a number of "potentially serious consequences".

"Relationships and family values could begin to suffer if we don't make enough time for our loved ones," she said. "And our health is at risk if we don't take steps to manage our time more effectively."

Carina Norris, a nutritionist based in Fife, said the speed of life was making it more difficult for people to eat a healthy diet and get the most from food.

"If you are eating so quickly, you are not going to have time to chew your food properly, you will have more chance of suffering indigestion and you are also not going to enjoy your food.

"Food is very important and we can't let it be pushed into a tiny compartment of our lives. It will not take up much longer in your day to spend longer preparing and eating meals, which is especially important for families, to spend time together."

Ms Norris said food that was quick to eat was often also unhealthy, such as chips and pizza.

"This is not always the case, but often the meals which we can pick up and eat quickly with our hands are those high in fat, salt and sugar," she said.