“If you are encountering families with feeding concerns, I strongly encourage you to ask them if sitting down together for meals is part of their regular routine. The more prescriptive ‘eat this, not that’ or calorie counting model that has been traditionally used in medicine is clearly not working well. As we see continue to see increased obesity and disordered eating alongside decreased resilience in our children, a return to the daily ‘ritual’ of the family meal may be the most beneficial first step for some of our struggling families. Encourage them to start small if necessary. If they are currently not eating together set the goal of one meal per week. If they are already doing it, suggest that they do so with more verve and intention. Educate yourself on the overwhelming benefits of the family meal for children and parents alike. Practice it in your own home so that you too may know the magic of this simple act. Family meals are a small change that is accessible and manageable for just about anyone— and maybe just what the doctor ordered.”
Kristin Saxena is a pediatrician.
She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, “The surprising power of family meals.”
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