“It is shocking how frequently people eat alone. A survey in England done by Robin Dunbar, the expert in friendship, found that ‘a third of weekday evening meals are eaten in isolation, and the average adult eats 10 meals out of 21 alone every week … 69% of those questioned had never shared a meal with any of their neighbors, while a fifth of people said it had been more than 6 months since they had shared a meal with their parents.’ More recently, in 2023, 25% of Americans reported eating all of their meals alone. That’s an increase of 53% since 2003. This is a problem.
“Eating together leads to all sorts of positives. People who eat with other people, especially at dinner, ‘feel happier and are more satisfied with life, are more trusting of others, are more engaged with their local communities, and have more friends they can depend on for support.’ Conversely, eating alone is associated with worse dietary habits, such as eating fewer vegetables and eating more prepared and junk food, and greatly contributes to loneliness.”
