Understanding Digestive Slowdown When you eat, your stomach begins breaking down the food before moving it into the intestines. The time it takes for your stomach to empty varies depending on several elements. Larger meals, especially those high in fat or calories, tend to take longer. Your overall health also plays a role. Sometimes, the stomach empties more slowly than normal due to a condition called gastroparesis. Gastroparesis isn’t widespread. Still, around one in four people experience