Study: Family Dinners Lead to Healthy Habits
Reported March 10, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Sitting down for a family dinner can help adolescents develop healthy eating habits.
Researchers from the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, made this discovery in one of the first studies to examine the long-term benefits of regular family meals for diet quality.
They focused on kids transitioning from early to middle adolescence. The study found adolescents who participated in regular family meals reported more healthful diets and meal patterns compared to adolescents who did not share five or more meals a week with family.
“The importance of incorporating shared mealtime experiences on a consistent basis during this key developmental period should be emphasized to parents, health care providers, and educators,” researcher Teri L. Burgess-Champoux, Ph.D., R.D., L.D., was quoted as saying.
SOURCE: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, March/April 2009