Researchers from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) have found that people who eat alone increase their risk of mental and physical health issues which can cause heart disease. The study comes when more people eat alone because of the pandemic. Furthermore, many studies have examined how your diet affects your heart health, but few have looked into the effects of eating in isolation.
Researchers have also stated that eating in isolation could be due to the death of a loved one. Moreover, the increased use of food delivery services has allowed people to maintain their distance during the pandemic.
People eating alone are at a higher risk for diseases
Previous studies have found that people who eat alone are at a higher risk of high blood pressure and abdominal obesity. The reason is that people eat faster when they are alone. Eating faster could cause high blood lipid levels, blood pressure, a wider waistline, and a big body mass index. These reasons increase the risk for heart disease and metabolic syndrome.
Eating alone impacts not only your physical health but also your mental health as it can lead to depression. In addition, poor mental health can cause cardiovascular disease.
How researchers conducted the study
The researchers gathered 600 menopausal women above 65 years old. They looked into the diets and health of those eating with others and compared them against their eating alone. The researchers found that women eating alone took less potassium, fiber, sodium, and carbohydrates. Moreover, these women were 2.58 times as likely to get angina.
According to Dr. Stephanie Faubion, a NAMS medical director, the study proved that alone older women were at risk of heart disease. They were also more likely to become widows, have low incomes, and have poor nutrition.
Dr. Faubion pointed out that the results are not shocking as social isolation and low socioeconomic status cause poor health, depression, and low quality of life. She points out that it is crucial to help these women as women typically outlive men. People can do this by assisting them in building social networks and engaging. This move will intimately improve their health and reduce the money they spend on medical care.
