Fight Obesity! Have Family Dinners Together.

If you live in a family unit, with kids or without, you are probably concerned about the rising obesity rate.  Here is somthing really simple to do that will help combat it.  Plan and eat family dinners together.  Yes, we are all busy and yes, an evening meal takes time to prepare and it may be time you feel you don't have in your schedule.  Think of the advantages:

1.  When you  prepare and cook meals at home they are automatically cheaper and most times healthier than any takeout or restaurant food.

2.  You can spend some quality time with family members while preparing and cooking the meal.

3.  Eating together (with the TV off at the table) promotes communication between family members.  It's a time every day when you know you will connect.  this may be the only time the people in your life will ask for your advice or come to you with concerns and problems.  Take the time to be available to them.

4.  Shopping, looking at nutrition labels, buying and preparing foods that are better for your health sets a great model for the other members of your family.  Kids learn through watching what you do.  If you show them how much you like healthier eating, they will want to eat like you do.

5.  If your family begins to eat healthier, it's a good chance other habits will become healthier too.

So, I know you're busy and sometimes it's hard to get everyone to the table at one time.  Shoot for certain nights of the week as family dinner night.  Make it a routine.  If you can work two into the week, now try for three.  If you can't one week, that's ok, but try again the next week.  Make family dinners the rule rather than the exception.

If you are at home together, sit down together.  Ban TV trays and eating in bedrooms or gamerooms.  Smart phones, ipods, cell phones etc. should be off limits to everyone during dinner time.  Engage with your family members, not your gadgets!

Here's a link to the book The Family Dinner, Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time

What are your ideas to make family dinners a real family affair?  I would love to hear them!