Happier Meals

The Unexpected Benefits of Family Dinners

For many baby boomers, family dinners were simply part of their daily routine growing up. But as family time around the dinner table began to decline—by more than 30 percent over the last thirty years—social scientists began to take a serious look at a ritual once taken for granted.

The American College of Pediatricians (ACP) decided to examine a wide range of research studies on the subject. They found evidence of so many benefits for families who had regular meals together that they now recommend that their members encourage parents to partake of the family table. Better family relationships, healthier eating, better grades, and decreased drug and alcohol use by teens are just some of the many benefits of frequent (defined as five per week) family meals. "When families regularly share meals together," says the ACP, "everyone benefits—the children, parents, and even the community."

Time Together

Shared meals can provide a sense of cohesion simply by bringing family members together. According to Drs. Jane Anderson and Den Trumbull, authors of the ACP analysis, sitting down with each other at the end of the day allows families to reconnect, to communicate with one another, and to share values. Children like structure, and family meals help provide that. Dinnertime together is also a chance for children to observe how their parents interact and express emotions, and for the whole family to learn how to treat each other with respect.

It's Academic

Some of the research indicates that language development in children is enhanced as they listen to family discussions, and their vocabularies expand just by hearing more conversations. Teenagers who frequently eat with their families are more likely to get better grades.

Healthy Habits

Children ages 9 to 14 who dine more often with their families eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer fried foods and sodas. They consume less saturated and trans fat and have more healthful dietary patterns overall. According to research presented at last year's European Congress on Obesity, children who don't eat dinner with their parents at least two times a week are 40 percent more likely to be overweight than those who do.

Family Love

Teenagers who have more frequent meals with their families are more likely to report having positive relationships with them. Specifically, it doubles their chances of having "excellent relationships" with their fathers and with siblings. According to one study, 71 percent of teens consider spending time with family members the best part of family meals.

Risks

Here are some of the risks for teenagers who have fewer than three meals per week with their family:

• They are two and a half times more likely to use marijuana.
• Their risk of using alcohol doubles.
• The likelihood of their using tobacco increases by four times.

Other Benefits for Teens

Teens who had more frequent family dinners were less likely to engage in sexual activity, and were less likely to experience depression and other emotional problems.

When asked why they don't have family dinners, parents cited a variety of reasons, from time constraints to schedule conflicts for both children and adults. In households where both parents work, finding time to prepare meals can be difficult. So can pulling children away from the television or their smartphones.

But given that the benefits far outweigh the challenges, the ACP recommends that parents check out The Family Dinner Project, which can be found at thefamily dinnerproject.org. There are suggestions for everything from how to get started—including recipes for meals that can be prepared in advance—to conversation starters.

For information on the specific studies used by the American College of Pediatricians, visit their website at acpeds.org.