The presence of screens at the table harms the health of your customers

Everyone eats in front of a screen at some point, especially their smartphone. But as a new scientific study highlights, devices interfere with our ability to enjoy food and the people around us.

"Eating with someone without looking at devices is not an idealized concept of the past, but a practice backed by scientific evidence in physical and mental health," explains Fernando Fernández-Aranda, deputy director of the Biomedical Research Center for Obesity and Nutrition Pathophysiology (CIBEROBN) in Madrid.

This doctor in clinical psychology coordinated the multidisciplinary study The Science Behind Cooking, commissioned by Ikea Spain to objectify the health impact of current eating habits. And while the results show that sharing a meal with others boosts emotional well-being and improves how our body processes food, one widespread behavior poses a problem.

Electronics blur sensory signals

98% of people report eating while looking at an electronic device. However, the presence of screens at the table has a "manifest negative impact": using a mobile phone during meals reduces joy by 32%, increases stress, fragments attention, and degrades sensory perception. To the point of leading to "a poorer emotional experience than eating alone."

While eating together encourages slower ingestion, better nutrient absorption, and promotes conscious satiety – which helps reduce the risk of obesity – the smartphone makes eating less mindful, paced by external stimuli such as notifications and digital content, rather than by real signals of hunger or fullness.

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For foodservice professionals, this study identifies an opportunity for differentiation. In a daily life saturated with screens, it is beneficial to offer spaces and experiences that promote digital disconnection in favor of human connection.

These results indicate a need to transform catering into moments of meaningful interaction, better for both body and mind. Even if many consumers see cooking as something functional, they still place great importance on the pleasure and the bond that come from sharing food.

It is up to industry players to make it easier and more affordable to create these moments at the table, whether through culinary concepts, spaces for people to gather, or modular and comfortable furniture that invites staying at the table longer. (This is precisely why a furniture giant is so interested in new food habits.)