A study of 2,500 teenagers has discovered that having regular family meals may help girls from using extreme weight control methods, but the effect did not hold for boys.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota surveyed the teens when they were 12 or 13 years old, and then again five years later. Both surveys included questions about eating habits and family.

Overall, about 26 percent of girls and 6 percent of boys reported using extreme measures such as self-induced vomiting, diet pills, or laxatives to control their weight. However, among those who ate five more meals a week with their families, the percentage of girls who were using extreme weight control measures was only 17 percent.

This study appeared in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: family, meals

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Life is often too fast-paced for us to stop and really enjoy what we're eating. Eating isn't an experience as much as a necessity. Sasha Loring, a psychotherapist at Duke University, says that taking time to savor and enjoy food could combat eating disorders.

"In a randomized controlled trial at Duke and Indiana State University, binge eaters who participated in a nine-week mindful-eating program went from bingeing an average of four times a week to once, and reduced their levels of insulin resistance."

The key to mindful eating is to slow down and take notice of what you're eating; take a bite, put down your fork, and pay attention to the smell, texture, and taste of your food. Another key is to approach food "non-judgmentally" - that is, try to leave guilt, fear, and anxiety at the door. Source: The Wall Street Journal

Learn more about Mindful Eating at Weight Loss Central.

Labels: meals, binge_eating, motivation

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