Chewing over benefits of family mealtime

Dining research: Who'd have guessed? Sitting down to family meals can be good for an adolescent. It took a University of Minnesota study of data from nearly 5,000 students, average age 14.9 years, to figure that out.

Most of us could have worked it out in our sleep.

The fact that the lot of you are sitting down together at all suggests that everyone is still speaking. Usually.

Which has to be a good thing.

Plus, the little toerags are eating half-decent food several times a week. Which has to be another good thing.

Plus, as the presiding patriarch/matriarch, you may be spawning one of those political dynasties, the kind that squabbled about the Suez crisis as infants around the family dinner table and grew up to be presidents of the United States or their national security advisers. Which has to be... Um, maybe not.

Director of psychology at St Vincent's, Fairview, Dublin, Marie Murray says: "One interpretation of the results might be that the family who have the time, the resources and motivation to eat together regularly are the kind of family more likely to be in better communication with each other anyway.

"The parents who are not under so much pressure that everyone has to fend for themselves are also going to be more vigilant and aware of their children's activities."

But she sees no harm at all in research - however obvious - that reminds us of the "important function that routine and communication play in family life, particularly for adolescents... and family meals are one way of promoting that".

The Minnesota survey, according to an article in the archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, goes further, however.

It suggests that apart from all the obvious benefits of frequent family meals for adolescents, such as providing routine, consistency, a chance to learn communication skills, manners, nutrition and good eating habits, your young dining companions, especially girls, will be less prone to "tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use; low grade point average; depressive symptoms; and suicide involvement".

The survey found that even when such a child has already begun using some substances, family mealtimes may act as a preventative against others.

Again, this makes perfect sense, says Ms Murray.

"Meals allow a family to keep track of each other and discuss what has happened to each of them during the day. Minor problems can be raised before they become major.

"Members who are unwell will be observed; someone off their food because of intake of other substances or dieting will be noticed.

"Sympathy and advice can be given that show that despite problems outside home, the family are united and care and this is a great antidote to depression," says Ms Murray.

So it makes sense to trap them early. Stress factors such as long commutes to work and school "are not conducive to family life", says Ms Murray, "and it might be worthwhile making a conscious effort to plan at least some more shared meals each week."

But once again, common sense rules. If young Brooklyn is disposed to be the Banquo at every meal, review the situation.

Regard it as a "useful aspiration and just aim for it whenever possible", says Ms Murray.

Oh, and one more thing, lest you try to sue the researchers at some future date for unsatisfactory outcomes.

"We did not find that family meals continued to be protective in the area of emotional health," they say, carefully. "However, this may be because of the progressive, causal relationship between these [tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use; low grade point average; depressive symptoms; and suicide involvement] variables."

So sit down and squabble away. Just remember, there are no guarantees.