Families Who Eat Together Decrease Their Risk Of Obesity

Eating at the table with your family could help to prevent obesity, according to recent findings published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Columbia University examined data from the 10-year longitudinal study Project EAT (Eating and Activity among Teens), which looked at weight-related variables among adolescents, including dietary intake, physical activity and weight control behaviors. Then, they asked participants questions based on family meal frequency and body mass index.

"It is important to identify modifiable factors in the home environment, such as family meals, that can protect against overweight/obesity through the transition to adulthood," said lead study author Jerica M. Berge, in a news release.

Findings revealed that roughly 51 percent of the subjects were overweight and 22 percent were obese.

Among adolescents who reported that they never ate family meals together, 60 percent were overweight and 29 percent were obese at the 10-year follow-up. Overall, all levels of baseline family meal frequency, even having as few as 1-2 family meals a week during adolescence, were significantly associated with reduced odds of overweight or obesity at the 10-year follow-up compared with those reporting never having had family meals during adolescence.

Results also showed a stronger protective effect of family meal frequency on obesity among black young adults compared with white young adults. However, the limited significant interactions overall by race/ethnicity suggest that the protective influence of family meals for adolescents spans all races/ethnicities.

"Informing parents that even having 1 or 2 family meals per week may protect their child from overweight or obesity in young adulthood would be important," Dr. Berge concluded.