Sit-down family dinners improve teens’ eating habits

Teenagers who have sit down meals with their families are more likely to develop better eating habits.

Lead researcher Kathryn Walton, dietitian and Ph.D. student at the University of Guelph in Ontario, conducted the study with family relations and applied nutrition professor Jess Haines.

She said:

Gathering around the dinner table is sort of a magical thing.
It’s a time when families can slow down from their busy days to talk, spend time together and problem-solve. It’s also a time that parents can model healthful eating behaviours.

The study involved more than 2,700 participants between 14 to 24 years old who were living with their parents in 2011. The young people were asked how often they sat down for dinner with their families, how well their family functions, and about their consumption of fruit and vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages, fast food and takeout food.

The study found that family dinners are associated with better dietary intake for adolescents from both high and low functioning families.

Source: University of Guelph