Kids who dine with their parents are healthier, happier, and better students than those who do not. Recent surveys have shown that 55% of 12-year-olds have dinner with a parent every night vs 26% of 17-year-olds. Among teens, 54% of Hispanics eat with a parent most nights vs 40% of blacks and 39% of whites. The television is on during dinner in 37% of families with teens. The number of family meals, however, appears to be increasing. Groups like Ready, Set, Relax! have dispensed hundreds of kids to many towns, coaching communities on how to fight over scheduling and how to carve out family downtime. More schools are offering basic cooking instruction. When kids help prepare a meal, they are much more likely to eat it, and cooking is a useful skill that seems to build self-esteem.
Gibbs N. The magic of the family meal. Time, June 12, 2006.
In each edition of the Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, William Roberts, MD (Editor in Chief) reviews books, summarizes medical news and sometimes rants about topics of the day. The section is called “Facts and ideas from anywhere” and the post above is an excerpt.
Posted by Scott W. Yates, MD, MBA, MS, FACP
