In the first long-term study that examines the benefits of eating with family members, researchers at the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota found that family meals have a big impact on adolescents because they encourage healthy eating habits and good nutrition choices.
"These findings suggest that regular family meals during the transition from early to middle adolescence positively impacts the development of healthy behaviors for youth," said Teri L. Burgess-Champoux, who worked on the study.
"The importance of incorporating shared mealtime experiences on a consistent basis during this key develop mental period should be emphasized to parents, health care providers, and educators," he added.
The researchers examined data from EAT Project, a study that examines the socio-economic factors, personal, and behavioral factors affect the eating habits of nearly 400 children. All children who were respondents in the study were asked to answer all the questions when they were 12 to 13 years and five years later. During his first 10 years, 60 per cent of children regularly eat with their families, while 30 percent do it later during adolescence.
Children who ate five or more times per week with their families, both in early and middle adolescence, eating more healthy foods with lots of vegetables and foods rich in calcium, fiber and minerals five years later
Although eating regular family associated with better eating, overall an adequate diet was not achieved for the entire study sample, the researchers said. The findings are published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
