November 2009-January 2010 has been designated as the
Eat.Talk.Connect challenge period. The Minnetonka Schools and Tonka
CARES encourage families to develop stronger connections by
continuing (or creating!) the habit of sharing meals and engaging in
meaningful conversation. Try to share meals at least five to seven
per week, and to focus on conversation and connecting. Studies
support that connections to family and community are as important to
our mental and spiritual health as food is to our physical health.
Research shows that children who share at least three
meals every week with their families – without the distraction of TV
and other technology – benefit in the following ways:
• They are 40-50% less likely to smoke, use drugs or alcohol, or
engage in sexual
activity.
• They have greater academic success. 40-50% of children eating
regularly with
their families have an A or B average.
• They eat more healthfully and experience fewer food-related issues
such as
obesity, anorexia or bulimia.
• They experience less stress and are significantly less likely to
be depressed.
• They incorporate their family’s values into their lives.
“Sharing meals” is defined as when all or most family
members who live in the same household sit down together to eat
breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any meal. For example, eating at a food
court in the mall qualifies. In fact, anywhere counts, as long as
most family members are gathered together and engaged in
conversation. Mealtime conversations should be fun and engaging …
disciplinary issues should be addressed at another time.
Share your time and connect with your kids during a
family meal today!
This national celebration encourages families to regularly share
meals as an effective way to stay connected. Can’t gather at the
supper table? Consider sharing dessert at your favorite restaurant,
or having breakfast at the counter! Be creative in how you get
together and connect with your family. Find out more at
www.casafamilyday.org.
Family mealtime has been shown to have numerous benefits. According
to the National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia
University, compared to kids who have fewer than three family
dinners per week, children and teens who have frequent family
dinners are:
1. At 70% lower risk for substance abuse
2. Half as likely to try cigarettes
3. Half as likely to be daily cigarette smokers
4. Half as likely to try marijuana
5. Half as likely to get drunk monthly
6. One third less likely to try alcohol
7. Likelier to get better grades in school
8. Less likely to have friends who drink alcohol & use marijuana
9. Likelier to have parents who take responsibility -teen drug use
10. Almost 40% likelier to say future drug use will never happen
Here are several sources of more information and resources around
family mealtime:
University of Minnesota Project EAT (Eating Among Teens), Project
EAT is a large research project which looks at many facets of teen
nutrition and eating habits.
http://www.epi.umn.edu/research/eat/meals.shtm
Family Meals: How Important Are They? Mary Story Ph.D., R.D.
Professor, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
