Page "Shemini Atzeret" Paragraph 24

** Eating in the sukkah does not cause a parallel problem because many people simply enjoy eating in a sukkah.

Seeing someone eating in a sukkah does not per se lead one to assume it is still ḥol hamoed in the same way.

Likewise, eating in the sukkah does not per se impinge on one's own celebration of Shemini Atzeret.

Therefore, the prevalent practice is to eat in the sukkah on Shemini Azeret outside of Israel.

However, one does not say the berakhah for sitting in a sukkah, as reciting it does " impinge " on the unique status of Shemini Atzeret.