- Double Mastectomy May Offer No Survival Benefit to Women With Breast Cancer
- Toxic Lead Found in Cinnamon Product, FDA Says
- Certain Abbott Blood Sugar Monitors May Give Incorrect Readings
- Athletes Can Expect High Ozone, Pollen Counts for Paris Olympics
- Fake Oxycontin Pills Widespread and Potentially Deadly: Report
- Shingles Vaccine Could Lower Dementia Risk
- Your Odds for Accidental Gun Death Rise Greatly in Certain States
- Kids From Poorer Families Less Likely to Survive Cancer
- Tough Workouts Won’t Trigger Cardiac Arrest in Folks With Long QT Syndrome
- At-Home Colon Cancer Test Can Save Lives
Family Meals May Keep Kids, Parents at Healthy Weight
![](https://ladylively.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/nutrition-vitamins4-300x336.jpg)
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 6Kids are less likely to be overweight if they eat meals with their families, according to a new study.
The research found that children in families who eat together without the television on and stay seated until everyone is finished have lower weight and body-mass index (BMI), a measurement of body fat based on height and weight.
The researchers compared BMIs and family dining rituals of 190 parents and 148 children.
Strong, positive socialization skills during family dinners may override children’s need to overeat, the researchers said. They also found that parents who talk meaningfully with children, especially young boys, about their day during dinner also have lower BMIs.
“Eating anywhere other than the kitchen or dining room was related to higher BMIs in both parents and in children,” study co-author Brian Wansink, a professor in Cornell University’s School of Applied Economics and Management, said in a university news release.
“The ritual of where one eats and how long one eats seems to be the largest driver [of obesity],” he said.
The researchers said, however, that the link between BMI and dinnertime habits does not necessarily mean that one thing directly causes the other.
“By focusing on family dining rituals, this research departs from the more food-centric approaches,” said Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. “Family meals and their rituals might be an underappreciated battleground to fight obesity.”
The study appeared in the October issue of the journal Obesity.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about children’s weight.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.