Homogenization of eating times in the United Kingdom and Spain

Abstract

Purpose – The paper aims to offer information regarding the degree of homogenization of eating times in the UK and Spain. The objective is to compare two societies by the ways their respective members organize the time spent on eating. Eating time organization is examined via two parameters: eating rhythms and their duration. The authors study the former by comparing daily meals timetables. Duration is studied via the time spent on eating and cooking. Design/methodology/approach – Data from time-use surveys in Spain and the UK have been used for this work and various specific aspects of eating have been analyzed. First we consider the time devoted to eating; second, the timetables of the main intakes: third, the time spent cooking. Since in these sections it is noted that eating out is the behavior that most differentiates Spaniards and Britons, another section is given specifically to analyzing this behavior. Four categories were established by using a scaled variable to collect the time when the main activity is eating out: Home consumption, which shows are those that do not spend time eating or drinking out. Short time eating out: those who spend half an hour at most eating or drinking out. Average time eating out: those who spend between half an hour and one hour eating or drinking out. Long time eating out: those who spend more than an hour eating or drinking out. The comparison was made using respective sub-samples limited by age, between 16 and 65, as this is the potentially active population, integrated into the labor market in both countries. Findings – British and Spanish timetables do not coincide. The British spread their important meals through the day, while Spaniards concentrate them between 1.30 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon (lunch) and between 8.30 and 11 o'clock in the evening (dinner). In the Spanish case this makes for important peaks of individuals eating at the same time: in the periods 2:20/2:30 and 21:10/21:20. In the UK they are spread more throughout the day and do not reach comparable maximums. In Spain an average of 20 minutes (23.2 minutes) more is spent on the main meals than in the UK. This difference is found mainly among those who eat at home. Differences in eating out are quite smaller for Britain and Spaniards. They make a greater collective effort to synchronize this activity and, therefore, to a greater extent the day's structure. In both societies an eating norm shared by their members that reproduces cultural aspects characteristic of each one is maintained. The evaluation of eating is in the time and place of meals. In the British case, compared with the Spanish one, there is a greater tendency to eat out and spend little time, without taking into account comparison with time spent going home to eat. This tendency points to a lesser value being given to the practice. If to this factor we add the differences in time both societies devote to cooking, longer in the Spanish one, the different nature of the social act of eating has in each society is highlighted. Practical implications – Time analysis offers a new dimension to the exploration of the homogenization of food consumption. Other types of data used to establish international comparisons on food, especially data on food consumption, show a homogeneous image of food consumption among countries. Conversely, time analysis reveals a more heterogeneous image on this issue. Originality/value – It offers the possibility to do multivariate analysis, which allows us to assess which variables are the most relevant to understand the amount of time devoted to the preparation of food.

Frequency of family meals and risk of eating disorders in adolescents in Spain and Peru

“…These differences could be due to the food and meal habits of each country. In Spain, dinners are perceived as the main family meal (MERCASA, 2008), and usually occur between 08:30 pm and 11:00 pm (Moreno, 2010;Díaz-Méndez & Callejo, 2014), while in Peru breakfast is of great importance (RPP News, 2013) and dinners are perceived as less relevant than other meals (occuring between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm) (The Trade, 2011). Regarding dinners, Peruvian adolescents have more time after this meal before going to sleep, which would increase the likelihood of dining out or having dinner alone.…”

All practices are shared, but some more than others: Sharedness of social practices and time-use in food consumption

“…Welch and Yates mention 'feeding a family' as examples of such activity and indeed, it is easy to draw parallels between this view of dispersed collective activity and a practice such as eating a meal. Meals are concentrated at culturally specific times of the day (Callejo and Díaz-Méndez, 2014) and in specific places (e.g. at home, at the dinner table, or in front of the television), even when people eat alone (Yates and Warde, 2017).…”

How the type of working day affects work–life balance and mealtime balance: A study based on the time use survey

“…The explanations put forward by researchers suggest that the late timing of lunch and dinner in Spain, differing by two or more hours from the rest of Europe, is an activity showing cultural traits that are well established among the population (Southerton et al, 2012). This delay can be understood as a form of balancing, since the delayed timing of the meal enables workers to return home to eat in company, instead of dealing with the need for food by snatching a fast and secondary meal at the workplace, as happens in other countries (Díaz Méndez and Callejo, 2014).…”

“…Firstly, people balance two types of work, that is they reconcile paid work with domestic and personal obligations – especially the care of dependants (children and/or the elderly) – and the basic chores involved in organising daily life (shopping, cooking, cleaning, leisure, etc.). Secondly, they have to balance their schedule with regard to eating, fitting together the hours of paid work with mealtimes, since in Spain, there are two main daily meals (lunch and dinner) (see Díaz Méndez and Callejo, 2014), and the main midday meal is eaten during working hours.…”