YourTango.com: 75 percent say cooking a meal an act of love

NEW YORK, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Almost 80 percent of U.S. members of relationship website YourTango.com say preparing a meal for someone is a significant act of love, a survey indicates.

YourTango conducted a survey of more than 1,000 readers using Survey Monkey to gauge the attitudes and habits of women and men when it comes to food, love, dating, relationships and sex.

Andrea Miller, chief executive officer of the website, said conversely, only 21 percent surveyed said food was a source of tension or conflict in their relationship, with 7 percent saying they could not agree on what to eat and fewer than than 1 percent said it was because the person responsible for meals doesn't cook well.

In fact, 90 percent of people surveyed said a lack of kitchen know-how was not a deal-breaker for them when looking for romance.

However, more than 50 percent surveyed admitted that they tended to use food -- especially junk food -- to compensate for negative emotions, such as heartbreak and loneliness.

Less than 20 percent indicated meeting for a drink or coffee was best for a first date; but 48 percent preferred going out to dinner on a first date and more than 40 percent say being with their significant others inspires them to cook more.

In the age-old debate about whether a man should pay on the first date, more than 60 percent responded yes.

No margin of error was provided.