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Most of us raised in the baby boom generation remember when families actually ate dinner together every night. Recent surveys by Project EAT, as reported in Eating Well (June 2005; www.eatingwell.com) indicate that we may have lost something when this tradition fell out of style. One survey of 4,756 middle school and high school students in Minneapolis and St. Paul, found that kids who sat down to meals most often with their families �" seven or more times weekly �" tended to have higher grade point averages and were more well-adjusted in general than those who ate the fewest family meals �" two or fewer per week. They were also less likely to feel depressed or suicidal, to smoke cigarettes or use alcohol or marijuana. This held true even when issues such as race, family structure, and social class were factored out.

Other surveys conducted by or cited by Project EAT show that children who eat regular meals with their families also eat more healthfully. In general, these children take in more fruits and vegetables and calcium-rich foods. And, they also have a lower risk of disorder eating.

Contributed by Exchange, The Early Childhood Leaders' Magazine Since 1978

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