和父母一起吃飯的青少年更健康
Teenagers who switch off the TV and sit down to family meals are less likely to suffer eating disorders。
關上電視，坐下來和家人共餐吧。這樣做的青少年比較不容易飲食失調。
A study has credited eating together with lower rates of bulimia and anorexia. Meals are also less likely to be skipped, and adolescents used to eating round the table are less likely to take up smoking to lose weight。
一項研究已經證實，和全家一起吃飯的人患暴食症或厭食症的機率會較低，而且通常會按時進餐。那些一直和全家圍桌共餐的青少年也不大會爲了減肥而吸菸。
Researcher Barbara Fiese said: ‘The common belief is that teens don’t want to be around their parents very much, and that teens are just too busy for regular meals with the family。
研究員芭芭拉·費瑟說，“人們通常認爲，十來歲的孩子們不喜歡太多地待在父母身邊，他們忙東忙西，哪有時間和家人一起定時吃飯。”
‘Parents may not be able to get their families together around the table seven days a week, but if they can schedule three family meals a week, they will safeguard their teens’ health in significant ways。
“也許家長做不到讓全家每週七天都在一起吃飯，但是如果一週能安排三次家庭聚餐，就是對孩子健康極大的保護了。”
Professor Fiese spoke out after reviewing 17 studies on eating patterns and nutrition involving almost 200,000 children and teenagers。
費瑟教授是在回顧了17項有關飲食結構和營養狀況的研究之後，發表上述評論的。這些研究涵蓋了近20萬兒童和青少年。
She found that teens who eat at least five meals a week with their families are 35 percent less likely to be ‘disordered eaters’。
她發現，那些一週和家人共餐至少五次的青少年，患飲食紊亂的可能性要低35%。
The definition of disordered eating involves bingeing followed by vomiting - a tack favoured by those suffering bulimia - taking diet pills or laxatives, skipping meals, eating very little and smoking to keep a lid on weight。
飲食紊亂包括暴食之後催吐(暴食症患者最愛用的方法)、吃減肥藥或瀉藥、不吃飯、吃得極少，以及爲保持體重而吸菸。
Even three family meals a week helped, with youngsters 12 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate with their families less often。
就算孩子每週只和家人一起吃三頓飯，他們超重的可能性也比其他不常和家人一起吃飯的孩子要低12%。
They were also 24 percent more likely to eat healthy foods and have healthy eating habits than those who didn’t share three meals with their families, the journal Pediatrics reports。
而且據《小兒科》雜誌報道，他們食用健康食品和養成健康飲食習慣的可能性，也要比那些每週和家人共餐少於三次的青少年高出24%。
Teens can also use family meals as a time to get their thoughts across。
青少年還可以趁全家共餐的時候，讓父母瞭解自己的想法。
