Researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have studied the association between social isolation, or loneliness, and food and eating-related behaviors both during and outside of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Dr. Katherine Hanna, Jenna Cross, Amy Nicholls, and Professor Danielle Gallegos from the QUT School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences conducted the review.
Dr. Hanna said loneliness and social isolation had often been described as epidemics with growing indications of adverse health outcomes, including earlier mortality, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and depression.
There are various pathways through which loneliness or social isolation, food, eating behaviors, and health outcomes could be interconnected, says Dr. Hanna.
Some have directly connected the relationship with suggestions that individuals might eat to ease loneliness.
And more broadly, loneliness has been recognized as a component of emotional eating.
Professor Gallegos, who is the Chair of the QUT Centre for Childhood Nutrition Research, said that food and eating could well influence social isolation or loneliness.
Eating with others has deep social and cultural significance and has many benefits, including improved nutrient or food intake, says Professor Gallegos.
Dieting and other food restrictions also could lessen the ability to bond with others over food. However, it is not clear if there is evidence to support these links.
Dr. Hanna said it was for those reasons that the research team felt they needed to conduct the review to explore the available signs that investigated the association between social isolation or loneliness and food and eating-related behaviors, both during and outside of COVID-19 lockdowns.
27 of the 29 studies that met the eligibility criteria found at least one connection between loneliness or social isolation and one or more food-eating behaviors that would generally be considered harmful to health.
These included less fruit and vegetable intake, higher intake of energy-dense-nutrient-poor foods, and lesser overall diet quality.
Eight of the studies were conducted during COVID-19 lockdowns, and most of the results suggested the connection between loneliness or social isolation and food-eating behaviors had usually remained when individuals were in lockdown situations.
Dr. Hanna said some of the indications had provided insight into the possible underlying reasons.
For example, through consideration of the role of food and meals as strategies to lessen loneliness and the impact of eating alone on loneliness, says Dr. Hanna.
She also added that caution in the interpretation of findings was needed due to the range of measures used to assess both loneliness or social isolation and food and eating behaviors and the varying use of validated tools. Most investigations only judged a single point at a time, so cause and effect cannot be determined.
Professor Gallegos said the results indicated the possibility that part of the observed relationship between loneliness or social isolation and health could have been due to eating behaviors, justifying the need for more research to provide better evidence.
But the results found in this paper could be of relevance to many groups, including policymakers, health professionals, and consumers, says, Professor Gallegos.
The results could be of particular interest to dietitians and nutritionists who need to consider the potential impact of loneliness or social isolation on food choices.
Additionally, this review highlights to members of the public the possible importance of loneliness and social isolation influencing food and eating behaviors and the use of food to ameliorate loneliness and may help provide insight into personal choices.
Dr. Hanna said overall, the review illuminated the interconnectedness of food and eating with social and emotional well-being.
And it also highlighted that addressing food behaviors needs to consider the complex matrix of factors that influence food intake, says Dr. Hanna.
Extra research on this topic could allow for a better understanding of how to apply the findings in practice and the role of food and eating in the relationship between loneliness or social isolation and health outcomes.
