Family Dinners Encourage Healthier Eating Habits Among Adolescents

When children do not eat a healthy meal, their concentration and energy become more difficult to manage. The “Journal of School Health” issued a study in 2008 about the eating behaviors of approximately 5,000 school children. The research showed that children who ate more fruits and vegetables, accomplished higher grades on tests compared with children who consumed a high-fat, high-salt diet

Obesity can often be the consequence of living in a household that instill unhealthy eating habits. Schools can be a positive influence on teens early in life so that obese teens can lead into their adult lives with healthier habits. With these healthier habits, they may likely have more energy to become positive influences in others lives to be healthy and be able to do more. If schools can make such an impact on students’ lives, they should try, even if they needed to sacrifice extra money or instructional time. In 2007, there was a study that only one fifth of high school students had eaten fruits and vegetables at least five times a day in a week (Wexler, 2010). While it is unreasonable to force someone to eat these foods, if they are regularly offered as part of school lunches, students may eat them if they have finished the rest of their lunch and are hungry. Schools should be encouraged to even add fruits and vegetables to vending machines for healthier options.

Parents continuously make choices for their children. Every day, they decide what the child will wear, what shows they watch, what time they go to bed, what they will eat, and so much more. When grocery shopping in the store, parents have to make conscious purchases in order to maximize their budget (Krukowski, West, Harvey-Berino, & Prewitt, 2010). These decisions will influence whether the family can afford a two-dollar box of Macaroni and Cheese, opposed to fifteen-dollars’ worth of items to create a salad. How will these decisions affect childhood obesity? The answer is simple; it will affect a child. Young children and even adults need a mixture of fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy on every plate in order to consume a healthy diet (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2017).

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in America. "the percentage of obese children doubling from 6.5% in 1980, to 17.0% in 2006. Weight, nutrition, and physical activity are the main components to a child’s overall health.”(1) “When parents become too busy to cook meals in their homes, children learn poor eating habits and develop into unhealthy eaters.”(1) They will take what they learned at home and apply it to anywhere else that they eat. For example a child that drinks milk at dinner and sits with their family at dinner when asked what they want to drink when they are at a friend’s home will ask for milk because the child would associate milk with dinner. Children cannot make healthy choices of their own they need to be guided so

Parents influence children 's eating behaviors because they choose food choices for their families, serve as models, and reinforce eating patterns. Parenting practices are also influenced by the child’s traits like, age, gender, weight status, and eating behavior. It is influenced by the age because as the child gets older, their image of themselves change. Parents and children affect and react to each others eating behavior. Although the parent selects food choices for there family, the FITS study suggests that “bigger is better” when it comes to food. The portion size and energy density

In the recent years, the issue of childhood obesity has gained major attention in the United States especially in the 21st century. The percentage of obesity has raised tremendously within the last decade. In a recent news article, American Obesity Rates Are on the Rise, Maggie Fox states “about 28 percent of the people in America admits that they are obese.” The United States has become the country with the highest rate of obesity in the world. Besides adults who are obese, obesity is also a common issue to children and teenagers. Childhood is an important period when parents help their child avoid being obese. Eating habits during childhood can have an impact on a person as they age. Children in the U.S who are obese, will most likely develop a higher risk of having medical issue. According to the website, letsmove.gov, children who are obese, could cause to wide range of health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, high glucose levels, and more. Also, children who are obese at a young age, are likely to remain obese in adulthood. The establishment of the bill, H.R. 2627 Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act, could reduce the percentage of obese children by providing salad bars during lunch times. This exposure to healthy eating habits can help children to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to avoid future health issues.

A good and healthy nutrition is essential for your health. However, a survey that was conducted in 2007 proves that the Australian adolescents consume less fruit and the intake of the saturated fat and the sugars have increased in consumption (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015). Some of the studies have shown that adolescents who frequently eat with at least one family member has a greater chance of having better food and also have a good nutritional intake. It is very evident that having the family meal a priority and by creating a positive family meal atmosphere, associates with a decreased rate of disordered eating behaviours and eating disorders in adolescents (DAA, 2016). Research shows that the Australians are eating even less fruit and vegetables before all the fast food companies started growing. The data received by the Bureau of Statistics show that the teenagers are the main charge in unhealthy eating dominated by the fast food. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015).

Over time America has become bigger. Not just in population size, but also in pant size. Obesity has been on the rise and children are now being affected at an alarming rate. Obesity can be defined as having an unhealthy amount of body fat. The rise of childhood obesity can be linked to bad diets, family, and a lack of exercise. Being obese as a child can cause serious consequences later in life. Bad diets are a major cause of obesity, especially in youth. Consuming unhealthy food often is linked to weight gain. Food that is high in fat, sugar, and calories are the staples of an unhealthy diet. Fast food has all three. According to studies “adolescents associate junk food with pleasure, independence, and convenience” (Sahoo Par 12). Fast food

Both the prevalence and incidence of childhood obesity may increase because of all these potential root causes. Katzymarzyk & Janssen (2004) support this with their conclusion that in North America it is likely that both dietary intake and physical inactivity have played a role in the increasing prevalence of obesity, not just one single factor. Of these possible root causes, overconsumption due to large portion sizes will be focused as the single root cause as it dictates the probability of becoming obese at the fundamental level. Canadian society has seen a shift in the past century to larger serving sizes, inexpensive and accessible food, and frequent snacking that make it easier to overload on calories (Blackburn-Evans, 2004). Additionally, a different study concluded that obese children and adolescents need to limit their sugar-sweetened drinks and out of home food consumption as there is a relationship between these foods and body fatness, due to higher calorie intake (Gillis & Bar-Or, 2003). Gillis & Bar-Or (2003) went further to determine the types of foods children that are obese were consuming, and they found that they were consuming more servings of meat and alternatives, sugar-sweetened drinks, grain products, and potato chips compared to non-obese children. Overconsumption of these products contributes to a higher daily calorie intake. Overall, managing children’s calorie input to calorie output

a) The motivation is to convince the readers that school lunches have become healthier as to erase the perception that cafeteria food is terrible. As well, these statistics are being used to determine if healthier school lunches "will help ease the obesity epidemic among the nation's children." This study was done as to determine the influence of school lunches on the obesity epidemic and to show whether the government has taken the right approach to lower obesity rates or need to take a different approach.

The fast-paced lifestyle of Americans today results in unhealthy frozen T.V. dinners and take-out meals. In present day society, the role of woman and men are virtually equal. With this making both the mother and father of families busy, there is little time for home cooked meals. A hardy breakfast is replaced with sugary pop-tarts, hand packed lunches is replaced with money for fast food, and frozen T.V. trays take the place of a healthy dinner. These foods may all taste good, but they are not healthy. By giving children lunch money, the children are having the choice to buy whatever foods they please. It could be easily assumed that a child would choose a candy bar, chips, and a soda over a school lunch. Again, the children are not the only ones to be blamed here. The parents need to take time to guide their children towards what food is healthy and what food is unhealthy. By taking a little more time out of the day and making healthier food choices, the rate of childhood obesity could slow down, if not stop altogether.

Also, any families spend their time together by eating meals while watching television, which can cause children to overeat (Denney-Wilson). Often partnered with fast food, soft drinks have risen to popularity. Many parents are unaware that one 12 ounce can of soda is filled with 10 teaspoons of sugar. Just one additional serving of soda increases a child’s odds of obesity by 60% (“1 Can of…”). If parents are made aware of what they are feeding their children, it might help reduce the percentage of obese children in the United States. Although most families would react to obesity by trying to feed their children healthier meals, some lower-income families are unable to afford the best quality food for their families. One study showed that children from households that are experiencing financial insecurity are more prone to health issues than those who are not experiencing these same issues (Yoo). The government should help these lower-income families by providing them with monetary support to purchase healthy food. Not only will the incorporation of a healthy diet help children overcome their weight problems, it can have an added benefit of helping them academically. Researchers have found that children who eat healthy meals will report better scores on standardized tests (Williams). By changing the diet of their children, parents can help their children to overcome their weight problems.

In recent years, the issue of childhood obesity has gained major attention in the United States. The percentage of obesity has risen tremendously within the last decade. In a recent news article, “American Obesity Rates Are on the Rise,” Maggie Fox states about 28 percent of the people in America admits that they are obese (Fox). The United States has become the country with the highest rate of obesity in the world. Besides adults who are obese, obesity is also a common issue to children and teenagers. Childhood is an important period when parents help their child avoid being obese. Eating habits during childhood can have an impact on a person as they age. Children in the U.S who are obese will most likely develop a higher risk of having medical issues. According to the website, letsmove.gov, obesity in children could cause a wide range of health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, high glucose levels, and more (“Health Problems and Childhood Obesity”). Also, children who are obese at a young age, are likely to remain obese in adulthood. The establishment of the bill, H.R. 2627 Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act could reduce the percentage of obese children by providing salad bars during lunch times. This exposure to healthy eating habits can help children to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to avoid future health issues.

Sawka et al. (2015) examined multiple categories of quantitative surveys detailing the relationship between children’s’ peer network and dietary behavior outcomes. Unhealthy food intake was associated with close friends’ fast food and other low-density snack food consumption. It is important to note one study showed a difference between genders, as boys consumed higher calorie snacks and fast food than girls. Healthy food intake findings were less significant than unhealthy associations, although best friends’ vegetable intake was positively correlated. Additional findings suggest a potential relationship between popularity and unhealthy low-nutrient food intake among boys. The overall findings of the review demonstrate a potential influence of dietary behavior and friendship among adolescents. School and nutrition professionals should consider the power of friendship when developing food-related policy and healthy food encouragement campaigns. Pachucki, Jacques, and Christakis, (2011) investigated how social ties influence dietary choices through analysis of quantitative data. The researchers found spousal food choice was positively related to partner food choice at the time of the spousal food choice. Additionally, a spouse’s food choice at a particular time influenced future partner food choices. Friends also influenced choices with regard to sweets, snack-type foods, and alcohol at a moderate rate. The findings imply social ties

Sawka et al (2015) examined multiple categories of quantitative surveys on the relationship between a children’s peer network and dietary behavior outcomes. Unhealthy food intake findings associated fast food and other low-density snack food consumption among friends. It is important to note one study showed a difference between genders, as consumption of high calories snack and fast food was higher between boys than girls. Healthy food intake findings were less significant than unhealthy associations, although best friend vegetable intake was positively related peer friend’s vegetable intake. Additional findings suggest a potential relationship between popularity and unhealthy low-nutrient food intake among boys. The overall findings of the review demonstrate a potential influence of dietary behavior and friendship among adolescents. School and nutrition professionals should consider the power of friendship when developing food-related policy and healthy food encouragement campaigns.