The CNN “Eatocracy” blog reports, “A study in the journal Pediatrics finds that children and adolescents who share meals with their families at least three times per week are less likely to be overweight, eat unhealthy foods or be at risk for eating disorders.”
In my book, SuperSized Kids: How to protect your child from the obesity threat, I wrote, “Children from families who eat together have better nutrient intake because they eat more fruits and vegetables and drink more milk. They also eat fewer fried foods and drink less soda. Research =has also found that children who eat with their families make better food choices when they don’t eat at home and are more likely to eat 1 breakfast.”

SuperSized Kids now on clearance sale here.

I also wrote, “Other benefits also exist, aside from the nutritional ones. One survey found that teens who eat five or more meals a week with their families are more likely to earn A’s in school. They report lower levels of stress. And they are less likely to smoke, drink, or use illegal substances.”
Regarding this newest study on the topic, WebMD reported that investigators “analyzed the results of 17 recent studies on eating patterns and child nutrition involving more than 182,000 children and adolescents.”
HealthDay reported that “those who ate three or more meals a week with their families were 12 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate few or no meals with their families, and 20 percent less likely to eat sweets, fried foods, soda, and other unhealthy foods.”
The researchers also found that “eating five or more meals together reduced the likelihood of poor nutrition by 25 percent.”
So, how can you increase the number of family meals in your home. Here’s a blog of mine chock full of suggestions: How (and why) to increase the number of family meals at home.
Or, order a copy of my book, SuperSized Kids: How to protect your child from the obesity threat.