家人共进晚餐，有助儿童身心健康
The family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study. Children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don‘t, according to a report in the March issue of the journal Archives of Family Medicine. Researchers say the findings have important implications for preventing chronic disease in adulthood.
The need for teen-agers in general to improve their diets also was highlighted in a recent study on the poor dietary habits of teen-agers and how these habits affected teens‘ future cardiovascular health. The study, which was presented Monday at the 49th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Anaheim, Calif., showed that the more high-fat junk food teen-agers ate, the worse their arteries looked and the more risk factors they had for heart disease. (To view our article on this study, click here.)
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The Archives of Family Medicine study suggests that providing more meals at home for your children may be one way to improve their future health. Because studies have shown that family dinners have decreased in recent years, researchers for this study explored the nutritional effect on children 9-14 years of age. Over 16,000 U.S. boys and girls completed a survey about food intake and the frequency of family dinners.
Those who reported frequent family dinners consumed significantly more fruits and vegetables, and substantially less fried food and soda, than those who reported infrequent family dinners. The lead author says this information can be used to help prevent serious disease later in life.
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"Frequent family dinners were associated with a high intake of calcium, iron, and vitamins," says Matthew Gillman, MD, an associate professor of ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Calcium and iron are critical to the growth of bone and muscle. And vitamins help reduce the risk of many cancers and heart disease."
Gillman tells WebMD that there are other nutritional benefits as well. "Family dinners were also associated with a lower intake of saturated fat and carbohydrates that raise blood sugar," says Gillman. "And previous studies have linked [saturated fats and carbohydrates] with hardening of the arteries and diabetes."
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Despite the positives of family dinners, Gillman and colleagues found that "only a third of the 14-year-olds reported a family dinner every day, compared with more than half of the 9-year-olds."
There are ways that parents can help improve these numbers. Dieticians say parents can accommodate kids‘ schedules and nutritional needs with small, frequent meals.
"Extracurricular activities often mean late dinners for teen-agers," says Kathleen Zelman, RD, a nutrition consultant and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "So the cupboard should be stocked with nutritious snacks to keep them going. For growing adolescents, snacks are essential mini meals."
, http://www.100md.com
But Zelman says portion control is important. "If kids snack too much, they aren‘t hungry for dinner. So preportioned foods like yogurt, fruit, and rice cakes are a good idea," says Zelman. "If teen-agers have to eat before or after the rest of the family, they can microwave a low-fat, frozen meal. Of course, prepackaged meals should always be rounded out with salad and skim milk."
In addition, Zelman tells WebMD that family dinner is an ideal time for interaction and role modeling. "Dinner is not a time to discipline kids, but a time to communicate as a family," says Zelman. And it provides an ideal opportunity to teach kids about manners and healthy food choices. Not with discussion necessarily, but by setting a good example."
Zelman and Gillman agree that a similar study needs to be done in ethnic populations to see if the results are similar. Also, future studies are needed to explore exactly how family dinners improve diets., 百拇医药
The need for teen-agers in general to improve their diets also was highlighted in a recent study on the poor dietary habits of teen-agers and how these habits affected teens‘ future cardiovascular health. The study, which was presented Monday at the 49th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Anaheim, Calif., showed that the more high-fat junk food teen-agers ate, the worse their arteries looked and the more risk factors they had for heart disease. (To view our article on this study, click here.)
, 百拇医药
The Archives of Family Medicine study suggests that providing more meals at home for your children may be one way to improve their future health. Because studies have shown that family dinners have decreased in recent years, researchers for this study explored the nutritional effect on children 9-14 years of age. Over 16,000 U.S. boys and girls completed a survey about food intake and the frequency of family dinners.
Those who reported frequent family dinners consumed significantly more fruits and vegetables, and substantially less fried food and soda, than those who reported infrequent family dinners. The lead author says this information can be used to help prevent serious disease later in life.
, 百拇医药
"Frequent family dinners were associated with a high intake of calcium, iron, and vitamins," says Matthew Gillman, MD, an associate professor of ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Calcium and iron are critical to the growth of bone and muscle. And vitamins help reduce the risk of many cancers and heart disease."
Gillman tells WebMD that there are other nutritional benefits as well. "Family dinners were also associated with a lower intake of saturated fat and carbohydrates that raise blood sugar," says Gillman. "And previous studies have linked [saturated fats and carbohydrates] with hardening of the arteries and diabetes."
, 百拇医药
Despite the positives of family dinners, Gillman and colleagues found that "only a third of the 14-year-olds reported a family dinner every day, compared with more than half of the 9-year-olds."
There are ways that parents can help improve these numbers. Dieticians say parents can accommodate kids‘ schedules and nutritional needs with small, frequent meals.
"Extracurricular activities often mean late dinners for teen-agers," says Kathleen Zelman, RD, a nutrition consultant and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "So the cupboard should be stocked with nutritious snacks to keep them going. For growing adolescents, snacks are essential mini meals."
, http://www.100md.com
But Zelman says portion control is important. "If kids snack too much, they aren‘t hungry for dinner. So preportioned foods like yogurt, fruit, and rice cakes are a good idea," says Zelman. "If teen-agers have to eat before or after the rest of the family, they can microwave a low-fat, frozen meal. Of course, prepackaged meals should always be rounded out with salad and skim milk."
In addition, Zelman tells WebMD that family dinner is an ideal time for interaction and role modeling. "Dinner is not a time to discipline kids, but a time to communicate as a family," says Zelman. And it provides an ideal opportunity to teach kids about manners and healthy food choices. Not with discussion necessarily, but by setting a good example."
Zelman and Gillman agree that a similar study needs to be done in ethnic populations to see if the results are similar. Also, future studies are needed to explore exactly how family dinners improve diets., 百拇医药