Eat Family Meals Together and Get Rid of Child Obesity
Childhood is one of the most crucial stages of life where rapid growth and development takes place. It becomes extremely important to provide them with the right amounts of essential nutrients for their healthy growth. However, with majority children being picky eaters either refuse to eat or finish their meals or are very selective regarding the food items they eat, it becomes all the more difficult to ensure that they been fed right.
Additionally, with increased availability of junk and instant food and sugar laden unhealthy products in attractive packaging that are displayed in stores to attract and allure the kids and teens, makes them crave for more. Moreover with food delivery being just a click away has made it all the more difficult with parents often giving in to their kids’ demands paving the way towards childhood obesity which poses serious health risks. Overweight and obese children are more likely to remain obese into adulthood and acquire non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age.
Obviously dealing with eating tantrums of kids becomes a daunting task that most parents find difficulty to deal with the eating tantrums of their children.
But, not to worry, there is a simply easy way out.
Findings of a study conducted among 182836 children aged between 2.8 yrs to 17.3 yrs, published in Pediatrics revealed that children and adolescents who share family meals 3 or more times per week are more likely to be in a normal weight range and have healthier dietary and eating patterns than those who share fewer than 3 family meals together. Another study published in The Journal of Paediatrics found that adolescents who had having family meals together had significantly reduced odds of being overweight/obese 10 years later as a young adult.
So the way out is: Having Family Meals Together
Eating together as a family promote healthy habits among children and adolescents, as:
- Increased desire to consume fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Lesser likelihood of unhealthy food consumption
- Higher probability of wanting to eat their own food
Having said that, it is imperative to state that children have a natural tendency to imitate their parents. They may not listen everything what their parents have to say, but they would surely emulate their parents’ habits. So with parents becoming their role models for eating healthy, the younger generation is motivated to adopt the healthy eating practices.
Some here are some tips to adopt healthy eating practices that would benefit the family as a whole:
- Choose minimally processed foods: Simulation model studies have shown that reduction in consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) like breakfast cereals, biscuits, quick breads, frozen pizza, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat meals, sweet snacks and sweets, fast-food or reconstituted meat, poultry or fish and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) has the potential to substantially reduce childhood obesity in children and adolescents.
- Limit sugary beverages like sodas and soft drinks: Both sodas and soft drink have appreciably high amounts of added sugar in it. Along with obesity, research has also indicated a possible link between added sugar consumption and increased cardiovascular risk factors like elevated blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Excess sugar intake is also linked with hyperactivity among children.
- Choose whole grains
- Have whole fruits instead of fruit juice
- Add colorful and seasonal vegetables to your regular diet
- Avoid deep-fried foods, unhealthy snacks, and fast foods
- Limit caffeine intake, such as tea or coffee
- Drink plenty of water
- Reduce your screen time
- Turn off the television during meals
- Maintain the same meal time every day
- Think positive and stay active
While we already knew that a family that eats stays together stays together, now we know that it also helps the children become the fitter versions of their own selves. This also give them a key message to understand why it is important for families to eat together.
References -
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4144113/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8718854/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5365373/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3387875/