When it comes to food, the people of Puerto Rico, Greece, and Norway have a clear advantage. A global study involving about 1,000 individuals in 142 countries reveals a link between food enjoyment and overall well-being.
Participants were asked whether they had enjoyed their food in the previous week. In the UK, 91% responded positively, placing the nation alongside Kazakhstan and Jamaica in terms of satisfaction.
While France and Italy are unsurprisingly higher up the satisfaction table than the UK, it may come as a surprise that Denmark, Nepal, and Mongolia also outrank the British when it comes to food enjoyment. On the bright side, 88% of UK respondents considered their food mostly healthy (ranking 36th out of 142 nations), and 86% claimed they had plenty of choices.
In contrast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone ranked lowest in food satisfaction, likely due to their reliance on cassava and rice. These countries also reported the least healthy food options and the least variety. Lithuania, known for its Cepelinai dumplings, is the European country with the lowest food enjoyment.
Overall, individuals in wealthier nations were more likely to respond positively to the survey questions. Uzbekistan, for example, received high ratings for food enjoyment and healthy eating, potentially influenced by the authoritarian regime and positive response tendencies in other polls.
However, good food doesn’t solely depend on wealth. The highest level of food enjoyment was observed in Puerto Rico, a Caribbean territory with a GDP per capita similar to Romania. The region’s abundance of coconuts and mangos, along with flavorful national dishes like red beans and rice and roast pork seasoned with local spices and hot sauce, contribute to the island’s culinary delight.
According to Gallup’s measure, individuals who enjoy their food are 1.29 times more likely to thrive compared to those who don’t. Similarly, those who have plenty of food choices are 1.45 times more likely to experience higher well-being.
Yoshiki Ishikawa, president of the Well-being for Planet Earth Foundation, which supported the research, described this study as the first global data analysis to establish a strong correlation between food and well-being.
On average, individuals in North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean reported the highest food satisfaction scores (96%). The least satisfied individuals were in sub-Saharan Africa (72%), followed by North Africa (81%), Eastern Asia, and the Arab states (both 82%). These regions also had the least food variety in the previous week.
The study concludes that individuals who have a variety of enjoyable and nutritious food options are significantly more likely to experience higher subjective well-being, even when controlling for factors such as income, education, and age.
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