"Eating feels like a waste of time."
First came "bath canceling." Now Japan has "meal canceling." Skipping or cutting short mealtimes is emerging as a new lifestyle pattern among Japanese Generation Z — and in many cases, hunger is not the reason. Young people are increasingly pushing meals aside to make room for gaming, hobbies or time with friends.
According to Nikkei MJ, a publication affiliated with the Nikkei newspaper group, market research firm Intage surveyed 2,754 men and women aged 15 to 49 across Japan and found that 34 percent skip at least one meal a week.
The tendency was particularly pronounced among younger respondents. The rate was highest among those aged 18 to 24, at 41 percent, followed by the 15-to-18 age group at 37 percent. By contrast, the figure was 31 percent among people in their 30s and 30 percent among those in their 40s.
The reasons for skipping meals went beyond simply being busy.
Some 31 percent of respondents said they had no time to eat, while 26 percent said they were not hungry and 20 percent cited a lack of appetite.
The reasons also varied by age group. Among high school students, dieting was the most common answer, cited by 16 percent. Among those in their 20s and 30s, more practical concerns dominated — about 19 percent said preparing meals was too much trouble, while 18.6 percent said they wanted to cut food costs.
Among younger respondents, eating just two meals a day appeared to be becoming the norm.
While 71 percent of those aged 15 to 18 said they eat three meals a day on weekdays, that figure was limited to 56 percent among those aged 25 to 29. Researchers said the two-meals-a-day pattern may be establishing itself as a distinct lifestyle choice in that age group.
What stands out is why Generation Z is opting out of meals altogether.
Intage researchers said in-depth interviews revealed that many young people were trimming mealtimes to free up time for activities they considered more important — gaming, chatting with friends, pursuing hobbies or getting more sleep.
"Generation Z has too many things they want to do," said Oda Toranosuke, the researcher who led the study. "As a result, eating is becoming a relatively lower priority."
Experts caution against viewing the trend purely as a health issue.
"For young people, convenience matters more than nutrition," said researcher Murata Mayuko. "There is a need to communicate both the availability of easy-to-eat products and the fact that skipping meals can hurt concentration and performance."
Nikkei MJ noted that while meals were once a fixed anchor of the daily schedule, Generation Z increasingly treats eating as just one option among many. As how people spend their time becomes a more important value than simply filling their stomachs, "meal canceling" is taking shape as one facet of a new consumer and lifestyle culture.
sjy@heraldcorp.com
