How Eating Together Makes Us Healthier and Happier
Posted on: Friday, 24 March 2006, 09:00 CST
By Anonymous
The subtitle of this new book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, pretty much says it all: "How eating together makes us smarter, stronger, healthier and happier."
For reasons that we are all familiar with, the ritual of a family meal at the dinner table is becoming less common. Author Miriam Weinstein, a journalist and documentary filmmaker, presents stories, studies and arguments from the fields of psychology, education, nutrition, family therapy, anthropology, sociology, linguistics and religion showing the benefits we get from family meals.
She offers realistic strategies for bringing back this simple but effective ritual. "I am not advocating a return to some Neverland of meat loaf and ruffled aprons," she says. "These days, supper must be flexible, reflecting who we are at this time in our culture and in our lives."
When Weinstein started her research, she didn't anticipate that eating together would correlate with teens being less likely to use drugs, smoke or have premarital pregnancies (see Parenting). It seems that family contact is very important in developing a secure sense of self.
"Every time you encourage your toddler not to bang her spoon on the table, every time you cock your head and listen as your spouse or your child tells some stories from the day, you are creating your family culture. You're saying, 'This is who we are'." And, she adds, "hearing the family tales again and again over time anchors our sense of who we are and gives us a feeling of belonging and hope."
The Surprising Power of Family Meals (Steerforth, hardcover, $22.95) is available in bookstores and online.
Work & Family Life provides information and practical solutions to a wide range of family, job, and health issues. Our purpose is to help our readers reduce their stress and find pleasure and satisfaction in their many roles at work, at home, and in their communities.
Copyright Work and Family Life Mar 2006
Source: Work & Family Life
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