Many of us may live with a roommate. Sometimes, there can be problems. Who hasn’t had an argument about whose turn it is to take out the rubbish, or who should be the one to clear up after dinner? However, living with another person also comes with many benefits.

        You know that there’s always someone else around, who can help you feel safer. There’s always someone to talk to, so you will never be lonely. Besides these obvious benefits, there are some you may not notice. For example, we’re actually more likely to eat healthier food when living with others.

       To examine the effect of living alone, Australian university researchers did much research and found that people living alone tended to eat less fresh food including fruits and vegetables, which can have side effects on long-term health. However, those living with others generally got benefits from a more varied diet compared to those living alone.

     What could explain this? The researchers believe the social and cultural roles played by cooking, food preparation and eating may be important considerations. For example, those living with friends have someone else to go shopping with, and thus, they are more likely to buy higher-quality fresh food regularly.

       Cooking skills may be another factor. If a person living alone finds they don’t have the knowledge required to prepare a particular dish or cook a certain food, they may fall back on ready-made, less healthy food. However, if they lived with at least one other person, they may be able to ask for help.

       In addition, a person living alone can eat whatever they want at any time of the day. However, it’s helpful to have someone around who questions your decision to eat frozen pizza at 3:00 am. In other words, roommates can draw your attention to such an unhealthy routine.

      So, if you now live alone, fighting a losing battle against poor eating habits, why not consider sharing a home with someone else?