family meals

Family Mealsspell

S – U – C – C – E – S - S

What does “family meal”

mean to you?Is it individually

grazing in the kitchen?

Dining from the dashboard of a car?

Is there time for meals?

Are family meals important?

How frequent does your family have a meal?

2005 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents http://www.casacolumbia.org

12 13 14 15 16 170

102030405060

% Teens Having Family Dinners 7X/Week

What happened to the family meal?

Conflicting schedules Both parents working Long work hours Split shifts Meetings Sports practices Music lessons ↓ Cooking skills

How we eat today . . .

How about YOU?Reflect on your own experiences

with family mealtime . . . Share your best memories of

family meals growing up Would someone like to describe

your “family meals” ?

S = Smarter Children↑ language

acquisition (C. Snow, Harvard Grad School of Education)

↑ vocabulary = better readers and students

5 or more family dinners per week likelier to receive either all A’s or mostly A’s and B’s

2005 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents http://www.casacolumbia.org

010203040506070

0 to 2 5 to 7

% Teens Who Get A’s/B’s in School by Frequency of Family Dinners

Academic Performance Teens who have

frequent family dinners are likelier to get better grades in school and higher academic performance is associated with lower substance abuse risk.

Jeopardy’s Million Dollar Man –Ken Jennings

Dinner Conversation Topics

Friends and Social Activities

Current Events Family Issues Religion Curfew Peer pressure Substance abuse

U = Unlikely to smoke…

http://www.casafamilyday.org

5 or more family dinners verses 2 or less are:

Three times likelier to try marijuana

Two and a half times likelier to smoke cigarettes daily

More than 2x times likelier to drink alcohol or get drunk weekly

5 or more dinners verses 2 or less:

3 Times likelier to report that half or more of their friends use marijuana

Twice as likely to know a friend or classmate who uses Ecstasy

80% likelier to know a friend or classmate who abuses prescription drugs

40% likelier to know a friend who uses acid cocaine or heroin

2005 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents http://www.casacolumbia.org

0 to 2 5 to 70

0.20.40.60.8

11.21.41.6

Dinners Per Week

Family Dinners and Teen Substance-Abuse Risk

C = Courteous and Conversational

Children who have meals together have an easier time being courteous and making polite conversation.

Makes family relationships stronger.

C = Connected to Family

Family Relationships Parents are proud

of teens Low levels of

tension and stress Confide in parents

What’s going on at the table?

Less than 3x vs. 5-7x weekly 32% likelier to

dine with TV on 150% say there is

not much talking 2x as likely to say

that dinners don’t last long enough.

E = Eating Better↑ fruits and

vegetables↑ grains↑ calcium-rich foods↑ protein↑ iron↑ fiber↑ vitamins↓ soft drinks Neumark-Sztainer, JADA (103), 2003

Family Meals: Could they help prevent

overweight? Consistent mealtimes → food security ↑ nutrient-dense foods, ↓ nutrient-

poor foods Parents role model healthy eating at

meals Prevent “disengaged” eating and

promote “focused” eating, respond to hunger/satiety

Promote sense of belonging

TV and Family Meals: Kaiser Family Foundation 1999 (1090 2-7 yrs old; 2065 8-18 yrs old)Is TV usually on during meals in your home?

(% yes)Total sample 58%2-7 yrs 47%8-18 yrs 65%

www.kff.org/content/archive/1477/vchip_s.pdf

Strategies for family meals:

Make a priority

Strategies for family meals:

Plan ahead

Strategies for family meals:

Create positive atmosphere

Family Meals:Impossible Dream or Realistic

Goal?

2005 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents http://www.casacolumbia.org

Family Dinners, 1998-2005

0 to 2 5 to 70

10

20

30

40

50

60

1998

2000

2005

Dinners Per Week

Other Benefits Less Fights Less suspensions Less Sex Lower risk for

suicide Healthier Food

Balanced Meals

Family MealtimeMake it happen!

Family Mealsspell

S – U – C – C – E – S - S

This presentation on Family Mealtime

was made possible by thePurdue University

Center for Families’Promoting Family Meals Project.

For more information go to:

www.cfs.purdue.edu/CFF/promotingfamilymeals