Ready meal consumption and cooking coexist among adult men in Japan: Associations with overweight

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Ready meals have become an increasingly common component of contemporary diets, yet their relationship with cooking practices remains unclear. This study examined associations between ready meal consumption, cooking frequency, and overweight among adult men in Japan. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 1,100 full-time male workers aged 20–64 years. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, ready meal consumption frequency, cooking frequency, lifestyle factors, and frequency of nutritionally balanced meals. Men who frequently consumed ready meals were also more likely to cook, suggesting that ready meal use and cooking may occur together rather than be opposite eating practices. Being unmarried was most strongly associated with frequent ready meal consumption, whereas living alone was most strongly associated with frequent cooking. After adjustment for cooking frequency and lifestyle factors, ready meal consumption remained associated with a higher likelihood of overweight. These findings indicate that ready meal use among adult men may coexist with cooking while remaining associated with a higher likelihood of overweight, and contribute to a better understanding of contemporary food practices and may inform future research on healthier eating behaviors.