Regular family meals shown to deter eating disorders in girls
An article by Various Sources
Posted January 8, 2008 
The family dinner is more than a quaint slice of American life. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have confirmed it discourages teen girls from risky weight-loss tactics.
Extreme behaviors such as self-induced vomiting and diet-drug use were less common among teen girls who reported in a survey that they ate at least five meals each week with their families. These girls were also less likely to engage in binge eating or chronic dieting, according to a study released Monday.
While mealtime didn’t have the same protective effect for boys, the study nonetheless suggested a need to bring families back to the table, said Dianne Neumark-Sztainer of the university’s Project EAT (Eating Among Teens) survey. She encouraged leaders of schools, clubs and sports organizations to help through their scheduling.
“Think about when families in your community are most likely to be eating together,” she said, “and try to work around that.”
The study documented only the trend, offering no insights as to why family dinners are meaningful. There are plenty of theories, though. Perhaps frequent dinners help parents monitor how their children eat. Maybe the social aspect of the dinner table makes the difference.
It’s also possible that girls are more involved in meal preparation, which could explain the differing results.
Other studies have found a link between the frequency of family meals and eating disorders, but Neumark-Sztainer said this is one of the first to suggest a chicken-egg relationship – that an absence of family meals contributes to eating disorders over time.
The first Project EAT survey in 1999 asked 4,700 Minnesota adolescents and teens a variety of questions, including how many meals they shared with families in the past week. The second EAT survey came in 2004, and 2,500 of the original respondents took part.
Among girls who recalled fewer than five family meals per week in 1999, 26 percent reported in 2004 that they tried extreme weight-loss measures. Among girls reporting five or more family meals in 1999, the rate of extreme behaviors was only 17.4 percent in 2004.
The influence of family meals was constant for girls, regardless of their body weight, their parent’s attitudes about dieting or their family’s connectedness. Socioeconomic status was not considered in this study, which was published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Regardless of family meals, the surveys showed an increase over five years in unhealthy eating behaviors. As the girls grew from adolescents to teenagers, the share that attempted extreme weight-loss behaviors increased from 14.5 percent to 23.9 percent.
Neumark-Sztainer said mealtime is important for all families. Other research from the EAT surveys showed both girls and boys gained better daily nutrition through frequent family meals.
The surveys didn’t define family meals or whether they take place in homes or restaurants. Neumark-Sztainer said busy families should make mealtime a habit, even if the food isn’t elaborate or perfect.
The study suggests that parents, when given the opportunity, encourage healthy eating habits without becoming the “food police,” said Dr. Julie Lesser of the Park Nicollet Eating Disorder Institute.
Parent participation and family meals are critical to treatment as well, she said. Years ago, doctors thought families should not be involved in treating children with eating disorders, but this was a mistake.
“Sometimes we’ll explain it to parents like this: It’s your job to be a good coach, and the coach shows up for the game.”
Jeremy Olson can be reached at jolson@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5583651-228-5583.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Does your child have an eating disorder? Some warning signs:
- Food groups are eliminated.
- Meals are skipped, with the child saying he or she is not hungry.
- The child fills up on low-calorie foods, water or gum.
- He or she becomes isolated and stops eating socially.
- The child eats too much, too little or too fast.
- He or she talks about food and fat while restricting intake.
- Excessive exercise.
- Perfectionist, compulsive behavior.
BY JEREMY OLSON
Pioneer Press
