Living Alone Can Wreck Your Efforts to Eat Healthy

Bachelor Life

Why living alone could wreck your waistline, according to research.

Your skills in the kitchen are sub-par, you have no one to buddy up with at the grocery store, have no desire to spend half your paycheck on groceries. It's no wonder you have zero motivation to cook for yourself if you live alone. But, you might want to dig deep and find some. According to a new Queensland University of Technology study, people who live by themselves are more likely to have unhealthy diets.

Another study conclusion: Men who live alone are more likely to have a poor diet than a woman. 

The researchers cross-analyzed 41 previous studies to investigate the link between living alone and the choices people make concerning food and nutrient intake. "Our results found that people who live alone have a lower diversity of food intake and a lower consumption of some core food groups like fruits and vegetables and fish," said lead researcher Katherine Hanna, Ph.D. 

Researchers speculate that, when cooking for one, men and women tend to prepare simple or ready-made meals that lack key nutrients. Plus, single folks may lack support and encouragement to eat healthy, among other reasons. 

Don’t freak out if you’re living alone. We've got 7 healthy tips for ordering groceries and meals online (and preventing weight gain), plus 5 benefits of taking yourself out to dinner. See, being solo isn't so bad after all.

Ask Men's Fitness: I started a diet and dropped 10 pounds the first month—but since then the loss has slowed to a crawl. What am I doing wrong? >>>