Why are Americans so bad at lunch? [View all]

[marmar]

We should all be lunching like Europeans — it's better for your mind and body
Put down your sad desk salad; experts explain why a real lunch break is better for your mind and body

By MARY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED AUGUST 26, 2023 3:59PM (EDT)


(Salon) The morning had been an intense morning of lessons and group work on conflict resolution and peacebuilding. We had covered terrorism and violence, from Palestine to Ukraine — but it was now 12:30, so we were going to go do the next important action item on our agenda. My classmates, facilitators and I were going go to downstairs for a three-course, hour-long meal. Because this is Europe, and people still eat lunch here.

In my regular American life, lunch is an afterthought, almost an embarrassment. The majority of my friends and colleagues, like me, only leave their desks for a proper midday meal a few times a year. I have a publishing executive friend who I meet up with occasionally for an early breakfast; by her own admission she hasn't actually eaten a weekday lunch in years. And this is all somehow taken as normal and productive. A 2021 survey by the hygiene brand Tork found that even with more of us working from home, 39% of respondents said they "occasionally, rarely or never" took breaks during the workday. Nearly a quarter admitted they "feel guilty or judged when they step away from work midday." A 2019 survey from the California Walnut Board & Commission found that two in three millennials responded that they often skip lunch to "get ahead" at work. And even when we do take a break, it's not for long. The recent Compass Group's Global Eating at Work Survey found that the average American lunch break is just 30 minutes long.

In other countries, though, it's understood that the rhythm of the day requires an ebb and flow. In France, eating your desk isn't just a strange idea, it's against the nation's labor laws. Food-culture historian Martin Bruegel told NPR last year, "People are just simply happier when they take some downtime during the workday. It's good for their well-being."

And well-being is both a physical and psychological investment. "In the fast-paced world of work, it's easy to overlook the significance of pausing to nourish ourselves, but doing so holds numerous benefits for our overall health," says Marissa Moore, a Licensed Professional Counselor and writer at Mentalyc. ...............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2023/08/26/we-should-all-be-lunching-like-europeans--its-better-for-your-mind-and-body/