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Eating alone may mean extra you time that can be used to read a book and never having to share your favorite side dish, but there’s a downside the solo feast: it can cause health problems.
New research has found that not only can dining by yourself contribute to loneliness, something that was already known and is mainly a concern when it comes to older adults, it can be downright risky for your health. Here’s why experts say eating alone may be bad for you.
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Health Issues Linked With Eating Solo
With greater work demands and less focus on work-life balance, more and more people are taking their meals alone. And the occasional lunch by yourself can be a refreshing experience and a time to reconnect with yourself. But a recent study found that men who ate by themselves at least twice a day were 64 percent more likely to experience metabolic syndrome. And this syndrome can cause issues like high cholesterol, pre diabetes, and high blood pressure. These men also had a 45 percent increased risk of obesity.
How Eating Alone Affects Women
This research was published in Obesity Research & Clinical Practice and the health data and survey responses from 7,725 South Korean adults were used to aid in the findings. When the researchers focused on just the women in the study they found that just 29 percent who ate alone were more likely to develop metabolic syndrome.
Additional research is needed before we can draw a final conclusion and link eating solo to these serious health problems — it’s important to note that stress or other factors that may be the root of why people eat more meals alone could also be the reason for these health issues.
