Published 24th November 2025
Why sharing meals might extend your life
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One behavior that unites cultures around the world is sharing food.
Whether it’s with friends, family, neighbours, or the whole community, it’s a practice you’ll find in every country on Earth. Most cultures consider it a wholesome activity, but we rarely ask “why?”
If something is almost ubiquitous throughout humanity, it’s likely that it serves an important purpose.
We often forget, but we are social apes. Having meaningful relationships and deep social bonds helps support our mental health. And, as with our great ape cousins, if we live in isolation, our mental health can suffer.
In this article, we delve into the science of eating together and examine its potential health benefits.
Importantly, we’ll also include advice for people who feel socially isolated and can’t eat with others as often as they might like.
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Dining together: Well-being and longevity
Although there hasn’t been a substantial amount of research, the studies that have been conducted have yielded some interesting findings.
In a study from Taiwan, for instance, researchers followed almost 2,000 older adults for around 10 years.
They found that men who ate with others two or three times a day were significantly less likely to die during the 10-year follow-up than those who mostly ate alone.
According to the authors, this effect was primarily because people who shared meals tended to eat more healthily. However, in this study, women didn’t experience the same benefits as men.
The authors believe this is likely due to several reasons, one of which is that men were more likely to skip meals or eat out when left to their own devices.
A review of 18 studies focused on shared meal programs for older adults. In these programs, people are invited to meet as a group and share a meal.
This study didn’t identify any improvements in measures of physical health.
However, these programs were linked to improvements in diet quality and nutrient intake, which, in the long run, is likely to support better health.
Importantly, the authors identified a positive impact on people’s well-being, possibly due to reductions in loneliness and the benefits of developing a wider network of friends.
Along similar lines, a Korean study involving more than 8,500 adults, found that eating with others was associated with a better overall diet quality.
Another study, this time conducted in the United States, involved almost 900 parents.
The scientists found that having more frequent family meals was associated with higher self-esteem, fewer depressive symptoms, and lower stress levels.
Importantly, more regular family meals were also associated with greater fruit and vegetable consumption.
And if there’s one thing we know at ZOE, it’s that eating more plants can have a powerful effect on physical and mental health.
The impact of social isolation
Rather than focusing on the benefits of eating together, some scientists have flipped this question on its head by exploring the negative effects of eating alone.
A review of 29 studies concluded that loneliness and social isolation are associated with lower overall diet quality.
Once again, it’s safe to assume that, in the long run, this will have knock-on effects for overall health.
Similarly, a Japanese study with almost 2,000 adults found that eating alone more often is associated with experiencing more depressive symptoms.
Shared meals: Families and kids
During childhood, getting adequate nutrition to support a rapidly growing body and brain is particularly important. So, some scientists have focused on the importance of eating together as a family.
A Chinese study used data from more than 370,000 school children. The researchers found a correlation between regular family meals and some important outcomes:
fewer depressive symptoms
increased life satisfaction
better mental health
A similar study included 8,500 adolescents in the U.S. Of these, about 60% had shared a family meal five or more times in the previous week, and 22% had shared two or fewer meals.
Those who had family meals more often tended to have fewer depressive symptoms and emotional problems and reported better emotional well-being.
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Another study focusing on the mental health of young people, used data from almost 3,000 children and adolescents (aged 9–17) in Brazil.
The analysis showed that, compared with kids who never ate with their families, those who had one family meal per day were less likely to experience a mental health disorder. And the likelihood was even lower in those who shared two meals each day.
In a review of 65 relevant papers, researchers found a correlation between sharing meals and better physical and psychological health in young people, including:
less obesity
a lower risk of developing an eating disorder
better academic achievement
The authors of another review reached similar conclusions, writing:
“Greater family meal frequency protects children/adolescents against a poorer diet, obesity, risk behaviours, poorer mental health and wellbeing, and poorer academic outcomes.”
However, it’s essential to note that the authors of both reviews emphasize the need for further research. They explain that many of the existing studies are either low quality or their design means that it is difficult to draw solid conclusions.
Before we move on, it’s worth looking at some of these limitations in a little more detail.
Questions remain
The studies we’ve covered above provide evidence that regularly sharing meals with loved ones supports physical and mental health. But as we’ve also seen, loneliness is associated with poorer diet quality.
This makes it difficult to tease apart cause and effect: Does eating together produce benefits, or is it just that always eating alone is a sign of loneliness, which is linked to poorer health outcomes? Or could it be both? We don’t yet know.
Another factor to consider is that some people have a stressful relationship with their family, meaning that they are more likely to dine alone.
If they experience more depressive symptoms, it might not be purely due to eating alone; it might also be because they lack strong bonds with their immediate family, which is stressful.
On a different note, it might be that people who eat together more often can only do so because they have more free time . This means they may be less stressed in general.
If you’re having to skip family meals to work two jobs, for instance, this could also explain an increased risk of depressive symptoms.
Similarly, people who work night shifts may have fewer opportunities to eat with friends and family. Research has shown that working these types of shift patterns is associated with poorer sleep quality and health problems.
These are just some of the challenges scientists face when exploring this complex topic.
However, taken together, the evidence does suggest that regularly dining with friends and family is likely to support your health and mood.
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How to combat loneliness
All of this is well and good if your family and friends are in close proximity. Of course, this is not the case for everyone.
In fact, experts believe that loneliness in the West is increasing. Some even refer to it as a loneliness epidemic.
So, what can you do to combat loneliness? Here are some suggestions, although we acknowledge that everyone’s situation is different:
Don’t blame yourself: Loneliness is a part of life, and everyone experiences it sometimes. It doesn’t reflect badly on you. It’s not a personal failing.
Keep in touch: Even if friends or family are far away, try to maintain regular contact via phone or using video calls. It’s not the same as meeting face-to-face, but it can still help ease feelings of isolation and remind you that people are on your side.
Get involved: If you have any hobbies or interests, try to find online or real-life clubs and communities to join. This can be a great way to build bonds, as you already have at least one interest in common.
Virtual shared meals: Host a virtual dinner date where friends or family in different locations cook and eat the same meal over a video call.
Consider volunteering: Not only does volunteering help people in need, but it can also help you build a new network of friends. Examples might include working at a community garden, food bank, or soup kitchen.
Do what you love: Loneliness can feel more intense when you are bored with little to do. Try to fill your day with activities that bring you happiness, whether that’s exercise, going for a walk in the country, or listening to music.
Try not to doom scroll: It’s tempting; we’ve all been there. But no good can come from it. Instead, when using social media, focus on connecting with friends and family members and engaging with them. And if the temptation to doom scroll is too strong, set yourself time limits.
We hope some of these will help. But, most importantly of all, if you are feeling really low and nothing helps, speak with your doctor.
Help is available. Here are some resources from the United Kingdom’s NHS, and here are some resources from the CDC in the U.S.
And if you are lucky enough to have a thriving support network around you, consider inviting someone for dinner every once in a while. They will certainly appreciate it.
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What does it all mean?
Overall, there’s growing evidence that eating with friends and family is better for your health than eating alone.
This effect seems to be across the board: from young children all the way through to older adults.
The most likely health benefit appears to be a reduction in mental health symptoms. This is likely to be due to a range of factors, which include:
Diet quality: Studies show that when people eat together, they tend to eat more healthily and choose more fruit and veg. A healthy gut supports a healthy mind.
Bonding: Humans are social animals, and social bonding is very important for our well-being.
Eating rate: When we eat with others, we tend to eat more slowly. And there’s good evidence that reducing speed when eating is linked to better health outcomes. This is for a number of reasons. For instance, when we eat more slowly, our body has time to register that it’s full, meaning we are less likely to overeat.
On the other hand, loneliness is a real and growing problem in modern Western societies. It’s linked to poorer mental and physical health, and it can be challenging to tackle.
We hope some of the tips we’ve provided above help.
And if you know someone who you think might be struggling to connect with others, consider inviting them over for a meal.
