Living Alone Can Have An Impact on Diet Habits

In a recent study, the Queensland University of Technology found that people living alone are more likely to have unhealthy eating habits. The study found that the most common reasons for the unhealthy eating habits were because of lack of motivation, poor cooking skills, no partner to go shopping with, and the increasing cost of food. The study also found that men living alone were more likely to have unhealthy eating habits than women who lived alone. Participants in this study were found to have a less diverse food selection and consume less fruits and vegetables. This study presents that living alone may pose as a barrier to healthy eating, no one to cook with and lack of motivation can lead to consumption of pre-packaged meals, which lack certain nutrients. This study also provided a few ways that this barrier could be improved. The community could offer cooking classes for single people and on a range of budgets, promote community gatherings where those living alone could eat with others, and improving the availability of healthy foods.

I found this study to be very interesting. I have only thought of the elderly as living alone, and that is not always the case. It makes sense that those that live alone may not enjoy shopping by themselves, thus they do not go frequently, missing out on fresh fruits and vegetables. I think this is a great example of the importance of community nutrition. Community nutritionists would be able to determine the characteristics of the population and make some of these changes to help improve the diets of those who live by themselves. This issue should be addressed sooner rather than later to help improve the diet of those that live alone.


Queensland University of Technology. (2015, November 3). Living alone can dent healthy diets. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 6, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151103090932.htm

-KO