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Kids learn good habits at a young age when it comes to dinner
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Mon 03 Apr 2006 Byline: By SHARON THOMPSON) recounts a TV commercial for KFC that shows parents in the kitchen calling for the children to come to dinner. The children charge down the stairs and out to the car. The advertisement provides a chuckle, but a trip through the drive- through or to a nearby "fast casual" restaurant too often reflects the American family dinnertime. Health experts think one solution to the growing child-obesity rate is to teach parents how to cook nutritious meals. When baby boomers were youngsters, many of our mothers were stay- at-home moms who had snacks waiting for us after school and a hot meal on the table at 6 p.m. Then we grew up and decided that careers, and meals at McDonald's, were much more appealing. Dietitians think preventing childhood obesity begins at the dinner table. Cooking nutritious meals at home often takes a back seat to hectic work schedules and after-school activities. Research by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University showed that dining together as a family is linked to good school performance and good eating habits. Children and adolescents who have family meals are likely to eat more vegetables and fruit. They also consume fewer soft drinks and more calcium, iron, folate and fiber. The nutrient profile is better with those who have regular family meals three or more times a week.
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