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Lighten Up Georgia - Weekly Tip 10
"Fighting Obesity - One Step At A Time"
Georgia Sports Foundation * P.O. Box 2043 * Kennesaw, GA 30156-9100 (770) 528-3580 * (770) 528-3590 Fax * jseagra6@kennesaw.edu |
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Release: April 4, 2005
Donation Drive '07 Proceeds go to support the Georgia Sports Foundation and its affiliates. You can make a difference! Family
Meals Even
though you are focusing on your own eating and physical activity while
you participate in Lighten Up Georgia,
remember to also think about others who are a part of your family
unit. Family
mealtimes can be a valuable part of your day. They are a time and
setting for coming together, sharing information, eating good food, and
hopefully, building healthy eating habits. Research supports the value
of family meals. From time to time, I find research that reaffirms this
concept, and my recent discovery does no less than that. The
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health was conducted in the
mid 1990's with youth ranging in age from 11 to 21 years. A research
report in the Journal of Adolescent Health this year highlighted some of
the eating habits of 18,177 youth and the factors that influenced their
eating behaviors. About one in five adolescents reported skipping
breakfast on the previous day. A large percentage of these youths ate
less than the recommended three servings of vegetables, two servings of
fruit and two to three servings of dairy foods. Boys tended to do better
than girls. Adolescents who perceived they had weight problems did more
poorly with their food consumption pattern than those who felt they were
at a suitable weight. Here's
the point that confirms the value of family meals. These youths were
asked how many times at least one parent was present when they ate their
evening meal in the past seven days. They were also asked how often
parents were at home before school and when they returned from school.
The presence of a parent in the home before school and after school did
not seem to affect the youths' consumption patterns for fruits,
vegetables and dairy foods. At mealtime, however, youths who had four or
more family meals per week with a parent present were much less likely
to skip breakfast and less likely to report not getting enough fruits,
vegetables, or dairy foods. The reasons for these results might be anyone's guess. It's likely that parents who eat mealtimes with their children have more of an opportunity to provide healthful choices of food and to set an example of healthy eating. Even though adolescence is a time when youth are encouraged to develop their own choices, and parental influence decreases, this recent report is one more piece of evidence that suggests that family meal times together are important, even during the teen years, and it's not a good time to run your kitchen and dining room as a quick-stop food counter. The challenge is finding ways to make family mealtimes happen in your busy world.
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Remember:
April 8, 2005: Remember to turn in your teams weekly activity report. May 7, 2005: Cobb Cup (Team Handball) July 8-17, 2005: Georgia Games Championships August 6, 2005: Run For Life (Road Race) September 12, 2005: Bandy & Bailey Golf Jam
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This
email was sent by: Georgia Sports Foundation |
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