Great health isn’t just about what we eat, it’s who we’re eating with.
Words Chantelle Pattemore
If we think back to the last few times we met with friends or family, it’s likely food was involved on at least one occasion. We may have enjoyed a leisurely brunch out with girlfriends or a home-cooked meal around the dinner table. And with the festive season on the horizon, opportunities to enjoy food with our nearest and dearest are likely to be coming in thick and fast. This is good news, the science suggests, as breaking bread with others is a tonic for both our physical and mental wellbeing.
Bite-sized benefits
‘Eating together brings about a sense of community and safety, which goes back to [when we ate in tribes] thousands of years ago,’ explains Dr Kate Mason of Roots Psychology Group (rootspsychologygroup.co.uk). ‘When we’re coming together with a shared love of food, it brings about a sense of connection: we’re phone-free and in the moment with the people we value spending time with.’
The result? ‘This can have a huge impact on our psychological and emotional wellbeing – reducing social isolation and loneliness, depression, anxiety and other mental health difficulties,’ she notes.
Indeed, research has found that those who often eat socially with family or friends are more satisfied with life and generally feel happier. These individuals also tend to have wider supportive social circles and are more trusting of others.
Interestingly, eating with others in the evening rather than at lunchtime is associated with greater bonding and feelings of closeness – especially when there are plenty of people present and we have an opportunity to reminisce.
And eating with others has benefits for our physical health too – particularly among older adults. Studies have found that those individuals that rarely eat al
