Does your family eat meals together? I know between school, extracurricular activities and social lives it can seem like it’s more trouble than it’s worth to get everyone sitting down at the same time. But new research shows that perhaps you should try a little harder — just three extra minutes a the dinner table can significantly improve a child’s chances of maintaining a normal weight.
The study shows that children who participate in family dinners for at least 20 minutes, four times a week, weighed significantly less than children who left the table after 15-17 minutes.
How can 3 minutes make a difference? Researchers say that those minutes add up over the long run. More time at the dinner table with your family means more communication, and it also means that there is an established routine. Families who talked more and interacted more positively during meals were found to be more likely to have normal weight children.
This is something that everyone can implement. The trend was true even for low-income families who may not have the ability to access the healthiest foods — regular family mealtimes still made a significant difference in children’s weight.
Source: http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/13977/20130122/spending-extra-three-minutes-dinner-table-help.htm
