News Release, 4 October 2006
To mark World Mental Health Day on Tuesday 10 October, the Mental Health Foundation has released the results of its ‘Make a Meal of it’ survey into the UK population’s cooking and mealtime habits. The research is a reminder that getting together to eat with friends and families is positive for a person’s mental health.
So, how often do people get together for mealtimes?
Almost half of those surveyed (45 per cent) go to a friend or family member’s home for a meal just a few times a year if at all, with only 11 per cent visiting once a week. However people do eat together more often in their own homes – 50 per cent sit down with their family or housemates at a table three or more times a week.
Do men and women’s cooking habits differ?
The survey shows a marked difference between the sexes. Nearly twice as many men (13 per cent) than women (7 per cent) have never tried to cook a meal from scratch. However, when they doventure into the kitchen, men are more adventurous and are more inclined to cook a new dish once a week than women, who are more inclined to stick to recipes they know and cooking a new dish once a month. When it comes down to cooking for other people, almost twice as many women (31 per cent) than men (16 per cent) cook for others on a frequent basis.
How did people pick up their cooking skills?
A higher number of men (64 per cent) than women (49 per cent) say they taught themselves to cook while nearly 50 per cent of women said they learnt from their parents. Overall, most people say they are self-taught (47 per cent), followed by learning from parents (41 per cent). When asked whether they could cook a meal from scratch when they left home, only 1 in 5 said they had not been able to.
Are parents teaching their children to cook and eating with them?
Less than half (45 per cent) of people surveyed said that their children regularly get involved in helping out three or more times a week. A significant proportion, nearly a third (30 per cent) only put on their assistant chef’s hat a few times a year.
Almost half of the respondents (46 per cent) with children eat together with their children five times or more each week. Almost a quarter of parents (24 per cent) eat with their children 3-4 times a week, while 15 per cent responded that they eat together as a family just a few times a month at most.
And what are people’s attitudes towards cooking and eating?
Almost two thirds of respondents (61 per cent) find cooking enjoyable while almost a third (30 per cent) see it as something that has to be done. Only 9 per cent view cooking as boring or a nightmare.
It seems physical health and weight are the primary motivators for people to adopt a healthy approach to eating. Women at 37 per cent are slightly more motivated by weight than men at 27 per cent, while men (50 percent) are slightly more motivated by physical health than women (47 per cent).
Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation said:
“Getting together to prepare and share food with good company can provide social and psychological benefits that are positive for a person’s mental health. Mealtimes are important because they provide an excellent opportunity for people to socialise and connect, to share anxieties, have them listened to and hear other perspectives. For young people in particular, sitting down at mealtimes can play a significant part in psychological growth and development.”
Ends
Return to news releases 2006
Notes to editors
For seasonal recipes, budget tips, or tidbits about mealtime traditions from other parts of the world prior to 4th October, please contact the Press Office on 020 7803 1105 / 1128 or email the press office
A web-based questionnaire was developed to gather the data for this research and located on the Mental Health Foundation website. A total of 1,138 questionnaires were completed. The majority of participants were aged between 15 and 65 years old.
The Mental Health Foundation is the leading UK charity working to improve services for both people with mental health problems and people with learning disabilities. It is the only charity to fund and work with both service users and providers and plays an important role in funding research and new approaches to prevention, treatment and care. The Foundation’s work includes allocating grants for research and community projects; contributing to the public debate; educating policy makers and healthcare professionals and striving to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness.
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