Half of Middle-Aged Koreans Eat Alone

Half of Koreans aged 40 to 64 eat alone every day, and many do not get the right nutrition, a study warns.

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A team of researchers at Kyunghee University studied the eating habits of 7,728 middle-aged people between 2013 and 2017 and found that 50.8 percent of men and 61.1 percent of women ate alone at least once a day.

Also, 6.5 percent of men and 8.5 percent of women ate all three meals by themselves.

Men consumed alarmingly low levels of calcium -- 1,623 mg for men who never ate alone compared to just 1,588 mg for men who ate one or two meals alone and 1,556 mg for men who ate all three meals alone. The recommended daily calcium intake is 3,500 mg.

People who eat alone also tend to consume more fat. Women who eat alone simply do not eat enough.

The recommended daily caloric intake for middle-aged women is between 1,800 and 2,000 kcal, but 28.6 percent of women who ate alone once or twice a day consumed less than 75 percent of that, as did 35.7 percent of women who ate all three meals alone.

"Such imbalances increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, so people who live alone must make sure they are properly nourished", the researchers said.