Eating and Order
November 21, 2007
Did you know that girls who eat one or two family meals a week are more than twice as likely to have disordered eating as girls who eat three to four family meals a week?
Regular family meals are a great defense against all kinds of eating disorders. (And professionals classify obesity as an eating disorder, along with anorexia and bulimia.) Knowing that eating is a social activity, knowing that you are expected to show up and eat at mealtimes, naturally helps to regulate food intake throughout the day. Eating with others makes it less likely that we will develop the kinds of idiosyncratic habits that lead to trouble.
Although there may be a genetic predisposition to anorexia, an easy antidote to disordered eating is simply order – the supper is on the table at six type of order.
In my research, I got to speak to lots of nutritionists and eating specialists. At first I was surprised when they told me how much better they felt when they followed their own advice about eating regular, sociable meals. Then I realized, of course; these small daily rituals make all of us feel good.
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
