Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
People are eating out at Moomin Café, a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. Some people sit with their friends while they eat. Other people may not have brought friends. But instead of being alone, they are sitting with large stuffed animals. These white animals are not alive. They are toys as large as humans. The toy Moomin is based on a cartoon animal from Finland. They are cute and fun. But they also have another purpose. They help people who come to the restaurant by themselves to feel less lonely.
photo by Hsuanya Tsai
Voice 2
More and more people around the world eat by themselves. Forbes magazine reports that in the U.S., adults eat nearly half of their meals alone. Some researchers have found that eating alone is not good for people’s health. Others think that it is a good experience to eat meals by yourself. Today’s Spotlight is on eating alone.
Voice 1
In many places, people feel strange eating out alone. And most restaurants do not have stuffed toys to keep their customers company! But the Telegraph reports that this is changing:
Voice 3
“Eight in ten people in the United Kingdom believe that eating alone is more socially acceptable than it was five years ago. Almost a third of Britons have done so in the last month. And a third of these had done it in the last week. This shows that the shame of the table for one is on the way out.”
Voice 2
Many parts of our world are changing quickly. This affects how people eat, and who they eat with. Many people are moving to new cities. Others have jobs where they travel far from home. People must sometimes eat in restaurants in places where they do not know anyone. The structure of families is also changing. A study published in the health magazine Obesity Research & Clinical Practice looked at this issue. This study, from South Korea, explained how changing family structures influence the way we eat. Time Magazine reported on the study:
Voice 4
“Families in many regions of the world have become smaller in recent decades. There are also more one-person homes. Studies find that ‘at the same time, eating patterns have become irregular, informal, and individualized in the form of more eating alone’.”
Voice 1
This study also found that eating alone can be bad for people’s bodies. Men who ate at least two meals alone every day, were more likely to have some particular health issues. These issues include higher risk for heart disease and diabetes. Men who ate alone were also more likely to be obese. Eating alone is also connected to emotional health such as feelings of loneliness.
Voice 2
But there can be good things about eating alone too! Sometimes people use this as a time to be thoughtful and thankful about their lives. Or maybe it is just a moment of quiet time to think. If you eat alone, you can also eat whatever you want. This might lead to unhealthy food choices for some people. But it is an opportunity to concentrate on what you need for your own health and happiness. And, if you go out alone, you might meet new people and find a new friendship.
Voice 1
The Moomin Café in Japan welcomes people dining alone with a stuffed animal. But in other restaurants people can eat alone in a different way. Another restaurant that is especially for people eating alone is in the Netherlands. It is a small pop-up restaurant so it can move to different locations. It is named Eenmaal. This means ‘one meal’ or ‘one time’ in English. At Eenmaal, there are only tables for one. Each meal is perfectly sized for one person. No one is permitted to bring in cell phones or computers. Customers read books. They enjoy fresh food and their own company. Marina van Goor designed Eenmaal. She tells OZY.com about Eenmaal’s social influence:
Voice 5
“We wanted to break the very well-known shame of eating out alone. I noticed that in our society, there is actually no room for being alone in public spaces. We could create a franchise of many more restaurants like this one. I strongly believe it will work anywhere, and there is a need for it.”
Voice 2
Modern lifestyles and technology can make people very busy all the time. Many people have smartphones with them everywhere they go. People may even go out to eat with others but spend most of the meal on their phones! Layla Khoury-Hanold experimented with eating out every day by herself. She did this for a week. She wrote an article about it for the website Refinery29. She did not let herself use her smartphone while she was eating out. She was worried that people would stare at her. But they did not. Khoury-Hanold writes about what she noticed instead:
Voice 6
“I was getting bored and had to almost sit on my hands. Otherwise I would pull my phone out of my purse and disappear into Instagram. But when I looked around the room, I realized that more than half of the diners were staring at phone screens. They were not staring at me. They were not even looking at the people sitting across from them!”
Voice 1
The modern world has changed the way we live and eat. Some people might really be eating “alone” even when they are out with other people! It is not important who people eat with. It is how much they concentrate on what they are experiencing. In this way, a meal alone can be just as good, or even better, than a meal with others.
Voice 2
Eating alone can be a lonely experience. But it can also be a wonderful one. Many people even enjoy eating meals alone. Of course, eating is an important part of every culture around the world. But if you cannot eat with friends, you can still enjoy good food and good company – your own!
Voice 1
How many meals a week do you eat by yourself? Do you feel comfortable going out to eat alone? You can leave a comment on our website. Or email us at radio@radioenglish.net. You can also comment on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/spotlightradio.
Voice 2
The writer of this program was Rena Dam. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted for this programme and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This programme is called “Eating Alone”
Voice 1
Look for our listening app in the Google Play Store and in iTunes. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight programme. Goodbye.
Question:
How often do you eat alone? Do you feel comfortable eating alone? Write your answer in the comments below.
Often eat 1 marh
This is nice
this is a good question… actually usually l eat all my male alone like now because
I wake up early and I sleep early so male breakfast and dinner I am eating alone
about lunch, I will try to eat together with my family because there so late and I can’t Patience.
this is new information
Thanks a lot
I seldom eat alone because I live in a campus so I have to share my food at least with one colleague .
Of course I feel comfortable when I eat alone because I can clear my mind out of many things and think in a good way .
Actually, everyday!
I like eating alone.
I hardly ever eat with my family.
Eating alone that make me really comfortable .
That mean i can eat everything what i want during that time.
But sometime it influce over the lonelyness.
It does not matter for me but i enjoy.
It depends on my mood, sometimes I eat alone and some other time I don’t.when I eat alone in a restaurant with a lot of people there , I feel uncomfortable,but if there a few people I don’t feel uncomfortable.
Hi everyone,
I’m Balázs from Hungary. This is a real good program. Personally I think this program also shows very well social distance among people. Not to mention COVID-19 and its all circumstances which have changed our whole life. Nowadays the majority of people prefer virtual connection with their friends, family, or anyone who is achievable on social networks. This is an easy way to keep the connection to anyone and anywhere. Next to a cup of coffee at a restaurant or during traveling. It’s amazing the digital life how fast to spread day to day. Unfortunately, it has negative aspect too. We lose more and more from our personal contacts. Youth can’t see good examples from our rush life. Where can all this lead?
Sometime it would be good to listen to a program about technology and its social effects.
Spotlight English staff, you’re the best online channel.
I agree that when you eat alone, you’re feeling comfortable. Because when you eat alone in your home or any restaurant this is give you a relax and prosperity and enjoy the time to see favorite videos without someone just he talkative whole the day.
I eat alone in my home every day because my family is always busy
yes I comfortable when eating alone
I am bashful so I hate when ate alone in a restaurant but now I have to be more daring because I will be live alone away from my family so I have to go to a restaurant sometimes
thank you spotlight
Firstly Thanks for this information
really this is useful for me .
According to the question i prefer to eat alone most of the time
i fell that is comfortable for me i don’t now why or what i choose eat alone
well, I don’t usually go out for eating but I probably like eating at home alone, cause it’s more comfortable and quite. but when I go for eating outside I love to go with company.
From: ssramossilva@gmail.com
To: spotlight program
Subject: to answer to the questions below
Date: Saturday 24, October 2020
Locations: São Paulo city – São Paulo Brazil South America
Dear Liz Waid, Adam Navis, Rena Dam, and Michio Ozaki
First, I want to tell you that thank you very much for bringing us more one great article.
Question 1 – How often do you eat alone?
Answer 1 – I always eating alone. I eat alone everyday because I live alone with my three cats.
Question 2 – Do you feel comfortable eating alone?
Answer 2 – Yes, I do. If I have a company to eat with It would be better but I do not have one. So my cats are my companies to see me at the table at home eating.
God bless you
Severino Ramos da Silva
Brazil
I often eat alone breakfast in the morning, because a wake up earlier than my family, and afternoon snack, because I come home from school and no one is at home because my parents are at work and my brother is out or at school. Sometimes i feel comfortable and sometimes I don’t feel comfortable. I feel comfortable becauce I can eat how much food I want and without my dogs, because they don’t jump at me and don’t bark at me. I don’t feel comfortable when I eat alone because I don’t have someone who I can talk with.
I rarely eat alone. because I live with my family and I usually eat with them in the evening. In the afternoon, I have lunch with my co-worker.
However, if I must eat alone. I think it is OK. because I have a silent time for myself.
I have eaten alone five times a week during the last 15 years. I don’t work where i live, so because of that i ate alone every day.
I like eating alone, because I don’t have any friends, I usually live alone all time.
I don’t feel comfortable when I eat alone , the best way is eat with anyone.
sometimes I eat alone, yes I feel comfortable when I eat alone because I can think about what I do after I finish the meal.
Maybe two time
No I don’t like eat alone, thats way I eat when I watch my phone.
Never had to eat alone , no I haven’t feel good about eating alone
Sometimes l ate alone
Maybe nine meals qith myself l not feel to comfirtable.
I am usually prefer to eat a lone because l feel a calmer and accomplished at the time
I rarely eat alone. I usually eat with my roommates or my friends. But when I must eat alone, I feel so comfortable, I enjoy the time I get to be alone, I listen to music, read books, ect
hmmm, I studied at a university which is far from my home. So I didn’t live with my family and then I usually ate alone. After listening I realized I have a bad habit. That was just eating and just watching my mobile. I think I had to stop now to protect my emotional health.
I eat alone very often; it’s a regular and comfortable situation for me. I’m a college student who lives alone in a boarding house in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). As a result, eating alone is inevitable. When I’m eating lunch or dinner, I’m often entertained by movies. It also serves as a means of unwinding. The experience will be enhanced when we share the dinner with our friends or family. In my spare time, I like to go out to eat with my girlfriends. We were eating and conversing with our pals at the same time. That’s fantastic; the food has improved as a result. Eating alone is a difficult task for many individuals. They are willing to wait or go to more remote locations in order to share the dinner with anybody. That helps them feel more comfortable than if they were dining alone. If given the option, I would like to have a meal with others. If I am unable to, please let me know. well, I accept that’
I sometimes eat alone because I live far from home. I go to the city to learn and work. After the school, i comeback home and prepare to cook. Then I only eat alone since my roommate is rarely stay at home. I feel sad when i eat alone. Even these first days, when i eat i feel homesick and i want to comeback home with my parents.
I occasionally eat street food on the side of the road because it is very noisy and I find it difficult to concentrate while eating some of the foods that I enjoy. Of course, I eat alone and am feeling lonely because no one is talking to me about anything; the same is true for traveling alone; even though I can make something I want that no one can stop me from doing or give me advice, it is a very bad thing.
When I go city to study, I often eat alone. It probably better than go with friends, but someone using phones. Sometimes, Eating alone is good for me, I can enjoy my favourite foods.
Yes i love eat alone, I feel so good and quiet moments with myself but a last weekend I did eat with some friends been good meal ✅
May be i eat with myself 2 once a week because i study alone and i eat my dinners togather
1- I often eat alone two meal every day .
2- I really feel comfortable
Thank you so much
Actually I don’t go out a lot I love to spend my time at home I am introverted person
I usually try to eat something with someones. ı don’t like eating alone at all. Because it is boring. the beauitiful thing is share your food with someones.
I rarely eat alone, cuz i live with my family and eat meals with them and sometimes with friends, but if i must eat alone i’ll enjoy it cuz i’ll spend time watching a movie, check my phone, listen to music or read something.
I am rarely eating alone, but it experience comfortable when I do it
Actually ,I eat my meals alone in my home except lunch meal I usually ate it with my family,I love eat my meals with my family and my self because I enjoy when I eat a big meal with my family
And when I eat alone I become comfortable and I can to think more about my life.
Hello spotight,
I often do eat alone every night, and I prefer to eat alone, because when i eat alone is comfortable. I can eat the way i love, but mom don’t allow me eat alone.
hi
i prever drink a coffee alone in the cafe
i feel good and i talk whith my self
i did this sometimes in the months not every week
I prefer eating alone
I eat maybe 10to9 meals with myself becaus I don’t have time to eat with friends maybe in the future I will do it .some time I eat with my family .
Usually I feel comfortable when I eat alone because is my time my moment but I love eating with people.
In the fact i don’t like to eat alone for many reason , the first reason is when you eat alone you can feeling about bad thinks and as well as if you have heart disease and diabetes.in this situation the problem is bigger and some people they don’t comfortable to eating alone like me.
I eat alone 2 meals per day.
Yes i feel comfortable eating alone because i am introvert and i love doing my own things in my self without need of anyone .
I usualy get meals with my family. I do not feel ashamed when I eat alone. I can enjoy my lunch and feel comfortable eating alone but not for long period of time.
Actually everyday, Because when i eat alone i feel better and comfortable when i eat with another people, And when i eat alone i have time for thinking and i have time when i need to relax, And relaxation is important you need that everyday
Best regards
Omar
I eat alone everyday
Yes , I feel comfortable because I like ate slowly and taste meals but I’m not enjoy alone I enjoy with my family or friends to talk about things and eat politely…
I usually eat alone. I comfortable with it. Because I don’t feel lonely :D.
I always used to eat alone at my house however eating alone in the public places in my community is a wrong thing in last fifteen years but now changing happening
Never.