Research: People who eat alone have greater risk of being overweight

SEOUL, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- People who eat alone are more likely to be overweight due to an unbalanced diet, according to a research.

Researchers at Yonsei University's College of Medicine found that adults in their 20s and 30s who eat alone have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight, Yonhap News reported.

The research team examined a total of 13,303 participants aged 20 and over between 2013 and 2015 for the link between eating alone and weight gain. They found that participants who eat dinner alone weigh 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds) more on average than those who eat with others. Solo diners also have a higher BIM by 0.39 on average.

The participants in their 20s who dine alone showed the highest BMI by 1.15. Those in their 30s who eat alone showed a higher BMI by 0.78. Men who eat on their own showed a notable BMI increase. Adults with a BMI of 25 and over are overweight and over 30, obese.

The number of people overweight and obese increased from 24 percent of the population in 1998 to 33 percent in 2015, according to the state health statistics in 2017.

"The weight difference of 3.1 kilograms between participants in their 20s who dine alone and those who eat with others is significant. This can explain that people who eat alone are likely to have an unbalanced diet," said Jang Seong-in, a doctor who led the research, in the Yonhap News report.