Why Family Dinners Are More Important Than We Know

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Examining family meals and eating disorder frequency
While eating together regularly may decrease the chances of children developing eating disorders, it’s all about how parents approach those meals. One study found that a high number of adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) report having regular meals with their families. However, in these cases, the parents may require regular family dinners because they like to enforce strict eating guidelines, which can further trigger symptoms of AN. So if you do eat regularly with your children, be sure to learn how to identify disordered eating behavior, and speak to them about food and their bodies in a way that’s positive.