Family meals good for teens

BEIJING, March 13 -- Parents wanting to instill good

eating habits in their children, particularly teenagers, should make sure they

eat meals together.

In one of the first long-term studies to look at the

benefits of family meals, researchers at the School of Public Health at the

University of Minnesota found that family meals have a big impact on adolescents

because they encourage healthy eating habits and good nutritional choices.

"These findings suggest that having regular family

meals during the transition from early to middle adolescence positively impacts

the development of healthful behaviors for youth," said Teri L.

Burgess-Champoux, who worked on the study.

"The importance of incorporating shared mealtime

experiences on a consistent basis during this key developmental period should be

emphasized to parents, healthcare providers and educators."

The researchers examined data from Project EAT, a

study that looked at which socioeconomic, personal and behavioral factors affect

the eating habits of nearly 400 children.

The students completed questionnaires when they were

12 to 13 years old and another about five years later.

During the early teen years, 60 percent of the

children had regular meals with their family, compared to 30 percent during

later adolescence.

Children who ate five or more meals a week together

as a family in both early and middle adolescence ate healthier meals with plenty

of vegetables and foods rich in calcium, fiber and minerals five years later.

Although eating regular family meals was linked with

better eating, overall an adequate diet was not achieved for the entire study

sample, the researchers said. The findings were published in the Journal of

Nutrition Education and Behavior.

(Source: China Daily/Agencies)