Eating and watching television go together for most of us. And believe me, it’s not a good habit.
Sitting on the dinning table and having our food with our loved ones has unquestioned benefits. Eating with the family makes parents to concentrate more on the children. It also adds warmth to their relationship. Apart from this, it creates opportunities for parents to encourage good eating habits and appropriate table manners within the children.
According to a recent research, many of these benefits are lost if the television is on during mealtimes. The survey conducted on 1300 low income families highlighted on the fact that children are offered at least two fruits or three vegetables each day increases with each night the family ate dinner together. But this probability decreases every time the television is on during the family meals.
Less educated parents also were more likely to have the TV on during the family dinner. The research has clearly proved that preschoolers who spend more time glued to the television have worse diets, whereas families dining together tend to have better eating habits.
The researchers persisted that lifelong eating habits begin from the very beginning of life of a child. And it is important for parents to foster mealtime environments that encourage healthy eating. Therefore, families need to make time to eat together with the television switched off. Then only parents can mould their children into eating healthy food like fruits and vegetables that will protect them from bad eating habits and also several diseases related to poor eating.
It is advised to switch off the television sets while you eat, then only you can have a balanced diet mixed well with parents love and advice.
via: MEDICAL NEWS