The vast majority of us might describe our lives as hectic on any given day. Many of us barely see some of our family members on certain days, much less sit down at a table for a meal with them, especially during sports seasons and academic crunches.

Here’s a sound reason to clear those schedules and plop everyone down together for supper: New findings from a recent study suggest that adolescent girls who sit down with their families for at least five meals a week may be less likely to develop eating disorders.

Makes sense to me…as long as the family is enforcing positive eating habits and the mealtime environment is a pleasant one (that doesn’t include parents saying things like, “Are you eating another biscuit? Your jeans won’t fit tomorrow!” at the table - and yes, I had friends in high school whose parents said those things). We can bolster our girls’ self-confidence and help them embrace a healthy body weight, and apparently sitting down at the table with them is a great way to do that.

The study is unclear as to exactly why family meals may help girls stay away from eating disorders, but does it really matter after a certain point? Mealtime together is important in so many other ways - it’s a chance to reconnect, to let everyone unwind after a busy day or before a big event. My household could stand a few more of those family meals, and even though my kids are pretty small, I think I’ll go ahead and work on that so that by the time my daughter enters those fragile self-esteem years, it’ll be a routine she can look forward to, a bit of stability in the everyday rush.

Posted by Sunshine.