When young people leave home to live on their own or with a partner, their eating habits tend to get worse, according to a new Australian study. Researchers followed over 1,100 teenagers and young adults from ages 14 to 27 and tracked what they ate over many years. They found that people who moved out of their parents’ homes started eating more junk food and fewer healthy foods. The biggest drop in healthy eating happened when people moved in with a romantic partner. The good news? Understanding this pattern might help families and communities support young people in making better food choices during this big life change.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: How moving out of your parents’ house affects what young people eat, from their teenage years through their mid-twenties
- Who participated: 1,135 young Australians aged 14 to 27 years old who were tracked over many years and answered questions about their food choices five different times
- Key finding: Young people who moved out of their parents’ homes ate less healthy food and more junk food. Those who moved in with a romantic partner showed the biggest drop in healthy eating. The decline in healthy eating lasted over time for most people.
- What it means for you: If you’re planning to move out soon, be aware that your eating habits might slip. This is a good time to think about meal planning and grocery shopping habits before you leave home. The change is small but noticeable, so being prepared can help you stay healthier.
The Research Details
This study followed the same group of young Australians over many years, checking in on them five different times to see what they were eating. Researchers used a special scoring system called the DASH diet score (which measures how healthy someone’s diet is) and also tracked how much junk food and sugary drinks people were consuming. They used advanced statistical methods to look at patterns in eating habits over time and see how moving out of the house affected those patterns. The researchers also looked at different living situations—whether young people moved in with a partner, with friends, or lived alone—to see if that made a difference.
Following the same people over many years is much better than just asking people one time about their eating habits. This approach lets researchers see real patterns and changes as people go through major life events like moving out. By tracking people from their teenage years into adulthood, the study captures a really important time when eating habits are still forming.
This study is fairly strong because it followed a large group of people (1,135) over a long period of time with multiple check-ins. The researchers used validated methods to measure diet quality, which means the tools they used are trusted by other scientists. However, the study only included Australian participants, so results might be different in other countries. The study is observational, meaning researchers watched what happened but didn’t randomly assign people to move out or stay home, so we can’t be 100% certain that moving out directly caused the diet changes.
What the Results Show
Young people who left their parents’ homes showed a measurable decline in diet quality. Their DASH diet scores (a measure of how healthy their overall diet is) dropped by about 1.1 points on average. At the same time, they increased their intake of discretionary foods and drinks—things like candy, chips, soda, and fast food—by about 1.3 percentage points of their daily calories. These changes happened right after moving out and generally stayed the same over time for the healthy eating score, though the junk food increase did level off somewhat. The decline was consistent across different age groups and wasn’t huge, but it was noticeable enough to matter for long-term health.
The type of living situation mattered. Young people who moved in with a romantic partner showed the biggest drop in healthy eating (a 1.18-point decrease in DASH score). Those who moved in with friends or lived alone had smaller declines. This suggests that living with a partner might change eating patterns more than other living situations, possibly because of shared food choices or different cooking habits. The study also confirmed that overall diet quality in this Australian population was already not very good, meaning most young people weren’t eating as healthily as they should be, even before moving out.
This research adds important detail to what we already know about how life changes affect eating habits. Previous studies have shown that major transitions like going to college or moving out can affect what people eat, but this study is one of the longer and more detailed looks at this specific transition. It confirms that moving out is indeed a risky time for diet quality and provides new information about how different living arrangements matter. The findings fit with other research showing that young adulthood is a critical period for developing eating habits that can last into later life.
The study only included people from Australia, so the results might not apply to other countries with different food cultures or living situations. The researchers couldn’t prove that moving out directly caused the diet changes—only that they happened at the same time. People who chose to move out might have been different in other ways that also affected their eating. The study relied on people remembering and reporting what they ate, which isn’t always perfectly accurate. Finally, the study didn’t look at why these changes happened, so we don’t know if it’s because of less parental influence, different food availability, busier schedules, or other reasons.
The Bottom Line
If you’re a young person planning to move out, start learning basic cooking and meal planning skills now. Try to maintain healthy eating habits even as your living situation changes. If you’re a parent, use the time before your child moves out to teach them about nutrition and help them practice cooking healthy meals. Public health programs should consider offering extra support to young people during major life transitions like moving out. These recommendations are based on solid research evidence, though the effect size is modest.
This is especially important for teenagers and young adults planning to move out, their parents, and healthcare providers who work with young people. It’s also relevant for public health officials designing programs for young adults. If you’re already eating very unhealthily, this is a wake-up call to pay extra attention during any major life changes. If you already have good eating habits, you may be more resilient to these changes, but it’s still worth being aware of the risk.
Diet quality changes appear to happen fairly quickly after moving out—within the first few months to a year. The changes tend to stick around over time, so it’s important to establish good habits right from the start of living independently. If you do slip into worse eating habits, it may take several months of conscious effort to get back on track.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track your daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains versus junk food and sugary drinks. Set a goal to maintain or improve your current ratio when you move out. Use the app to log meals for one week before moving to establish a baseline, then check in monthly to see if your patterns have changed.
- Create a meal prep routine in your app that you can do weekly, even if you’re busy. Start with 3-4 simple, healthy recipes you actually enjoy. Use the app’s grocery list feature to plan meals before shopping, which helps you avoid impulse purchases of junk food. Set reminders to cook at home instead of ordering takeout on your busiest days.
- Use the app to track your DASH diet score monthly by logging your meals for a few days each month. Monitor your discretionary food intake (sweets, fried foods, sugary drinks) as a percentage of your daily calories. Set alerts if you notice a decline in healthy eating after a major life change, and use that as a trigger to refocus on meal planning and cooking at home.
This research shows an association between moving out and changes in eating habits, but it does not prove that moving out directly causes poor eating. Individual results vary greatly. If you have specific health concerns or dietary needs, consult with a registered dietitian or healthcare provider before making major changes to your diet. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical or nutritional advice. The study was conducted in Australia and may not apply to all populations or countries.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.