Teenagers who eat by themselves have a greater risk of being obese and having high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, according to a recent study of 14 and 15-year-olds. These tendencies are likely to follow them into adulthood.
Teens who ate with at least one family member six or seven times a week had a lower BMI than did those who ate alone. The BMI measures the relationship between height and weight and is an indicator for overweight and obesity.
Family meals more nutritious
“When you sit down together and you’re eating as a family that meal is more likely to be thought out in advance, well-prepared, and more likely to be nutritious than would be the alternative, which would be an adolescent eating alone and eating whatever they want…They may make less nutritious decisions,” says study co-author and pediatrician Dr. Michael Khoury.
ListenCanadian families are often busy with both parents working and sometimes coming home late. Teens who get hungry may not wait for them and instead grab whatever is handy from the fridge, or they may order out and eat alone in their rooms.
But even eating with just one other person can improve the measures associated with heart health, says Khoury. And he says there are other benefits.
Eating together has ‘many benefits’
“Sitting together fosters togetherness. It reduces stress. It promotes communication. And these types of things have resulted in less depression and better school performance and more positive family interactions.”
While he knows families are busy, the benefits are so great that Khoury says they should make cooking and eating together a top priority.
Researchers followed 14,280 students in the province of Ontario over four years to reach their conclusions.
On Twitter, Dr. Michael Khoury is @makhoury
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