Death of the family dinner

EATING alone increases the risk of obesity, according to research published this week.

It is thought that this is because people who eat alone are more likely to be isolated, which can have an overall impact on someone’s health. It also means they’re more likely to make unhealthy food choices.

But it’s not just single people who should take note. As our lives become more frenetic, sit-down family meals have almost become a thing of the past. From a medical perspective, I lament its loss. In fact, it’s actually something I go so far as to prescribe for families struggling with a mental health issue.

It does far more than make sure everyone in the family gets at least one proper meal a day, it’s also key to psychological well-being.

Family mealtimes used to be an opportunity to spot when youngsters were struggling or didn’t quite seem themselves. Now, too many children’s experience of mealtimes is a take-away or microwave meal eaten on the sofa, with no interaction, because half the family are glued to their phones and the other half to the TV screen.

It astonishes me that so many families I advise to introduce an evening meal struggle to implement it. No TV, no mobile phones — they are the only rules.

Yet time and time again it’s the parents, not the children, who can’t seem to do without constant stimulation.

Is it really any wonder that childhood mental health problems are on the rise?