If you could not work but still get all of the benefits that work gives you (salary, stability, etc), would you continue to work? Would you decide, maybe I'll work just once a week?
No one is saying that eating is a waste of time.
The OP says it like: Eating is a leisure activity for him like going to the movies. But he doesn't want to go to the movies 3 times a day for the rest of his life.
I really don't, how do you define what is a waste of time and what isn't? Why eating is a waste of time and working isn't?