With families being so busy with work, school, meetings, dance, sports, scouts and other varying activities, it can be difficult to find time to sit down all together as a family for a meal. In fact, it can be hard to find time to spend time with the whole family together at all. However, making the time to eat together for at least one meal each day can have a host of benefits for you and your family.
Nutrition
When a family is constantly on the go, fast food or quick unhealthy options such as boxed macaroni and cheese or ramen noodles can be common. Unfortunately, these foods are often high in calories, fat and sodium, which can contribute to disease and obesity. Eating together as a family often entails a more healthy home-cooked meal, eaten at a slower pace, that provides more of the essential nutrition needed for your family to remain healthy.
Family Relationships
Eating together as a family also forces family members to converse on a regular basis. This can help parents be better aware of what is going on in their child's lives, as well as increase the trust and communication between parents and their children. Discussing simple things such as how work was or what your child learned in school that day are important steps in keeping the lines of communication open between members of your household.
Eating Disorders
Eating meals as a family can also cut down on the rate of eating disorders, especially among adolescent girls. In a study published in the 2008 "Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine," it was shown that eating together as a family helped reduce the prevalence of eating disorders among adolescent girls. The study showed enough evidence that more research was recommended on the positive effects eating as a family has on reducing the prevalence of eating disorders in adolescent boys as well.
Substance Abuse
Family dinners may also cut down on the rates of substance abuse among adolescent members of the family. In fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration estimates that those who rarely have sit-down dinners with their family have a three and a half times more risk for abusing prescription medications or other illegal drugs except marijuana.
Member Comments