Health & Medicine
Healthy Dinner Habits: Dining Practices Associated with BMI in Children
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Oct 29, 2013 05:05 PM EDT
A recent study shows just how the dining environment can influence a child's weight status.
According to lead study authors Dr. Brian Wansink and Dr. Ellen van Kleef, who examined the relationship between everyday family dinner rituals and the BMI of 190 parents and 148 children, they found that the body mass index (BMI) is often associated with what happens around scheduled meals and daily activities.
Parents participating in the study were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the whole family's mealtime habits, as well as a broad range of questions concerning how many days they engaged in mealtime activities during a typical week. After filling in the questionnaire, the weight and height of both parents and children were both recorded.
The study found that 'dinner rituals' were related to both the parents and child's BMI's. For instance, the higher the BMI of the parents, the more frequent they indicated to eat with the TV on. Eating at the table in the dining room or kitchen was often linked to lower BMIs for both children and parents. Girls who helped parents prepare dinner were also more likely to have a higher BMI but no relationship was found among boys. However, it can be noted, via the study, that there boys who showed a greater social dinner experience tended to have a lower BMI, especially if they were eating at the table.
However, researchers note that there was not a definite connection between BMI and dinnertime habits. However, study authors stress that practicing healthy food routines at the table can possibly increase healthier lifelong habits for family all-around.
More information regarding this study can be found here.
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First Posted: Oct 29, 2013 05:05 PM EDT
A recent study shows just how the dining environment can influence a child's weight status.
According to lead study authors Dr. Brian Wansink and Dr. Ellen van Kleef, who examined the relationship between everyday family dinner rituals and the BMI of 190 parents and 148 children, they found that the body mass index (BMI) is often associated with what happens around scheduled meals and daily activities.
Parents participating in the study were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the whole family's mealtime habits, as well as a broad range of questions concerning how many days they engaged in mealtime activities during a typical week. After filling in the questionnaire, the weight and height of both parents and children were both recorded.
The study found that 'dinner rituals' were related to both the parents and child's BMI's. For instance, the higher the BMI of the parents, the more frequent they indicated to eat with the TV on. Eating at the table in the dining room or kitchen was often linked to lower BMIs for both children and parents. Girls who helped parents prepare dinner were also more likely to have a higher BMI but no relationship was found among boys. However, it can be noted, via the study, that there boys who showed a greater social dinner experience tended to have a lower BMI, especially if they were eating at the table.
However, researchers note that there was not a definite connection between BMI and dinnertime habits. However, study authors stress that practicing healthy food routines at the table can possibly increase healthier lifelong habits for family all-around.
More information regarding this study can be found here.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone