Distracted Dining

INFLUENCES

Fruits and "Friends" don't mix. Families who watch TV during
dinnertime may develop poor eating habits, putting kids at risk for
obesity and its related physical and mental problems, new research
suggests.

A Tufts University study, recently released by the American Academy
of Pediatrics on its Web site, found that when families didn't separate
eating from other activities, particularly watching TV, kids consumed
fewer fruits and vegetables and more junk food and soda.

"It's really important that parents, no matter who they are, where
they are or how stressed out they are, realize that eating is one of the
most fundamental health-related behaviors we have," says the study's lead
author, Katharine Coon, M.S., a research associate at Tufts. Cutting out
the distractions and structuring every mealtime-away from the TV--is the
best way to ensure that healthier foods make it to the table, she
continues. "It doesn't have to be a fancy table and a three-course meal.
Once parents separate and structure eating times, incorporating healthy
foods becomes much simpler."

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