Sitting down to enjoy a meal with the entire family can reduce the risk of obesity and other health problems associated with this weight disorder, a new study finds.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota and Columbia University. They used data from a 10-year longitudinal study of 2,287 subjects titled Project EAT (Eating and Activity among Teens), to examine weight-related variables among adolescents.
"It is important to identify modifiable factors in the home environment, such as family meals, that can protect against overweight/obesity through the transition to adulthood," study author Jerica M. Berge said in a press statement.
Researchers noted that 51 percent of the study participants were overweight and 22 percent obese. Additionally, among adolescents who reported they didn't have family meals at home, 60 percent were overweight and 29 percent obese. Researchers said that having family meals, even as frequently as one or two times a week dramatically reduces the risk of obesity and associated health problems.
One reason for this could be because family meals usually include healthier food options like fruits and vegetables. Also, coming together as a family helps members connect emotionally with each other.
"Informing parents that even having 1 or 2 family meals per week may protect their child from overweight or obesity in young adulthood would be important," the study authors said.
Earlier last month, a new study reported that family dinners may help protect teens from the consequences of cyber bullying and also be beneficial for their mental health.
Earlier this year, First Lady Michelle Obama urged people to start cooking their meals at home more often because it is healthy and saves money. Addressing a health summit in Washington, the First Lady highlighted the benefits of cooking at home saying that home-cooked meals have less fat, sodium, cholesterol and calories than meals prepared in restaurants, according to USA Today.
Many previous studies have highlighted the health benefits of home-cooked meals and family dinners. However, as beneficial as these may be, they also have some side effects. A new study by researchers from North Carolina State University found that sitting down to a home-cooked meal can be very stressful for some families.
"We wanted to understand the relationship between this ideal that is presented in popular culture and the realities that people live with when it comes to feeding their children," Sarah Bowen, an associate professor of sociology at NC State and co-author of a paper on the ongoing study, said in a press statement. "We found that middle-class, working-class, and poor families faced some similar challenges. For example, mothers from all backgrounds reported difficulty in finding time to prepare meals that everyone in the family would be willing to eat."
The current study was published online in The Journal of Pediatrics. The project was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
