How Much Time Do People Spend Eating?

People spend an average of six years of their lives eating. According to the American Time Use Survey 2006 data, Americans who are 15 years and older spend 67 minutes in primary eating per day, when eating or drinking is the main activity. American spend about an additional 16 minutes eating and 42 minutes drinking as a secondary activity per day, when food and beverage are consumed while doing another activity such as working or watching television.

If individuals only eat or drink when it is the primary activity, then they will spend an average of three to four years of their lives eating.

More about how much time is spent on activities:

• The average American will watch over 9 years of television.
• The average American spends 101 minutes driving per day, according to the Harvard Health Watch survey.
• The average person spends roughly 25 years sleeping.