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Children who eat lunch with their parents are more likely to be overweight than those in families who eat breakfast and dinner together, a study has found.
The researchers concluded that children who ate breakfast with their parents 5-7 times per week were 40 percent less likely to be overweight compared with children who had breakfast with their parents 2-4 times or less per week.
Those who also had dinner with their parents 5-7 times per week were 30 percent less likely to be overweight than those who shared less evening meals at home.
Lunch was different, the data showed, with children who regularly had lunch with their parents 20 percent more prone to obesity.
Researcher Dr Frøydis Vik said: ‘The results show that having family meals, such as breakfast and dinner may be of importance to a healthy weight status of children.
‘Children and adolescents with obesity have a greater risk of also being obese as adults.
‘And since it is really difficult to lose weight and lose weight on a permanent basis, it is really difficult to prevent becoming overweight in the first place.’
Dr Gavin Sandercock of the University of Essex, said that just 48 per cent of British families regularly eat together.
He said that family meals give parents a control what their child is eating and teach them about the value of good nutrition.
Eating together may also be a sign that parents have time to spend with their children and that they set rules on things like bedtime that benefit health.
Research has also shown that happier families eat together.
Dr Sandercock said: ‘It could be as simple as if you eat together, you have healthier, home-cooked food.’
Agencies/Canadajournal
