Eat Alone at Risk of Faster Obesity

A study conducted by Yonsei University said that people who eat themselves feel more quickly because of an unbalanced diet rather than eating together.

The researchers found that adults in their 20s and 30s who ate alone had a higher Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight.

The research team examined a total of 13,303 participants aged 20 and over between 2013 and 2015 for the relationship between eating alone and gaining weight. They found that participants who ate dinner alone averaged 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds) more than those who ate with others.

The participants in their 20s who ate alone showed the highest BMI with 1.15. Those in their 30s who ate alone showed a higher BMI with 0.78. Men who eat themselves show a marked increase in BMI. Adults with a BMI of 25 and overweight and over 30, are obese.

The number of overweight and obese people increased from 24 percent of the population in 1998 to 33 percent in 2015, according to state health statistics in 2017.

"The difference in 3.1 kilograms of weight between participants in their 20s who ate alone and those who ate with others was significant. This could explain that people who eat alone tend to have an unbalanced diet," said Jang Seong-in, a doctor who led the research was reported by UPI.