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Family mealtimes: A contextual approach to understanding childhood obesity

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  • Fiese, Barbara H.
  • Hammons, Amber
  • Grigsby-Toussaint, Diana
Abstract
There has been a growing interest in the role that shared family mealtimes may play in promoting the health and well-being of children. Families that regularly eat their main meal together four or more times a week are more likely to have children who do better in school, are of average weight, less likely to use drugs and alcohol at an early age, and consume more fruits and vegetables. The mere fact that families eat together does not address the process by which shared family mealtimes may protect children from unhealthy weight gain. Just as there is no simple explanation for the rising rates of obesity, the link between shared family mealtimes and childhood obesity is a complex one including socioeconomic and cultural context. In this paper, we provide an overview of how shared family mealtimes are embedded in a socio-cultural context that may either support or derail healthy eating patterns for children and youth. Evidence from an observational study of 200 family mealtimes demonstrates the complex interplay between socio-economic factors, family mealtime behaviors, and child obesity status. Families who had a child of healthy weight spent more time engaged with each other during the meal, expressed more positive communication, and considered mealtimes more important and meaningful than families who had a child who was overweight or obese. Using a cumulative risk model, it was found that the combination of family level and neighborhood risk factors predicted child overweight status. Recommendations are made for future research directions and policies directed toward families living in diverse economic circumstances.

Suggested Citation

  • Fiese, Barbara H. & Hammons, Amber & Grigsby-Toussaint, Diana, 2012. "Family mealtimes: A contextual approach to understanding childhood obesity," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 365-374.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:10:y:2012:i:4:p:365-374
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.04.004
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    2. Yanliang Yang & George C Davis & Wen You, 2019. "Measuring Food Expenditure Poverty in SNAP Populations: Some Extensions with an Application to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(1), pages 133-152, March.
    3. Hanć, Tomasz & Czapla, Zbigniew & Szwed, Anita & Durda, Magdalena & Krotowska, Aleksandra & Cieślik, Joachim, 2015. "Growth and nutritional status of children from dysfunctional families with alcohol addicted parents in Poland," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 101-109.
    4. Fiese, Barbara H. & Gundersen, Craig & Koester, Brenda & Jones, Blake, 2016. "Family chaos and lack of mealtime planning is associated with food insecurity in low income households," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 147-155.
    5. Jo, Young, 2017. "The Differences in Characteristics Among Households With and Without Obese Children: Findings From USDA’s FoodAPS," Economic Information Bulletin 263089, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    6. Walsh, Brendan & Cullinan, John, 2015. "Decomposing socioeconomic inequalities in childhood obesity: Evidence from Ireland," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 60-72.
    7. Jo, Young, 2014. "What money can buy: Family income and childhood obesity," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 1-12.
    8. Ben Allen & Morgan Lane & Elizabeth Anderson Steeves & Hollie Raynor, 2022. "Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence to Discover Interactions in an Ecological Model for Obesity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-13, August.
    9. Mandal, Bidisha & Powell, Lisa M., 2014. "Child care choices, food intake, and children's obesity status in the United States," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 14(C), pages 50-61.
    10. Nadia Rania & Laura Migliorini & Stefania Rebora & Paola Cardinali, 2015. "Daily Family Routines of Italian and Ecuadorian Immigrant Mothers in Everyday Life," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(4), pages 21582440156, October.
    11. Wen, Ming & Maloney, Thomas N., 2014. "Neighborhood socioeconomic status and BMI differences by immigrant and legal status: Evidence from Utah," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 12(C), pages 120-131.
    12. Averett, Susan L. & Fletcher, Erin K., 2015. "The Relationship between Maternal Pre-Pregnancy BMI and Preschool Obesity," IZA Discussion Papers 9608, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Karen Glanz & Jessica J. Metcalfe & Sara C. Folta & Alison Brown & Barbara Fiese, 2021. "Diet and Health Benefits Associated with In-Home Eating and Sharing Meals at Home: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-19, February.

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    Keywords

    Family mealtimes; Child obesity;

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