Abstract
This article aimed to analyze the significance of eating out for a group of elderly men, combining elements of the Health, Social and Human Sciences. The men lived alone and attended the Grupo Renascer Extension Program of the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Through direct observation, informal and in-depth interviews and Discourse Analysis, the social role of eating out as a promoter of different types of interaction and social cohesion for this group was evaluated. It was found that retirement, widowhood and children leaving home were related to changes in the dietary practices of the group. As well as a lack of interest in preparing meals, there was a desire to find environments that were more conducive to new social relations. Eating out represents a sense of socialization, representing inclusion in the globalized world. Eating in food courts, especially when alone, was more attractive to the elderly men than spending time in the kitchen preparing a meal that would not be shared. Eating out or buying take-out food to eat at home led to new types of social relationships for this population.
Feeding; Elderly; Life Style