{"id":43597,"date":"2012-04-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-04-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/research-shows-numerous-benefits-from-family-meals\/"},"modified":"2012-04-09T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-04-09T00:00:00","slug":"research-shows-numerous-benefits-from-family-meals","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/research-shows-numerous-benefits-from-family-meals\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Shows Numerous Benefits from Family Meals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Council of Economic Advisers to the President reported, &quot;The largest federally funded study of American teenagers found a strong association between regular family meals (five or more dinners per week with a parent) and academic success, psychological adjustment, and lower rates of alcohol use, drug use, early sexual behavior, and suicidal risks.&quot;<\/p>\n\n<p>In addition to the social and psychological benefits, the research shows that children ages nine to fourteen who have regular dinners with their parents &quot;have more healthful dietary patterns, including more fruits and vegetables, less saturated and trans fat, fewer fried foods and sodas, and more vitamins and other micronutrients.&quot; More and more research is showing that family meals also may be one of the most important protective factors in preventing childhood obesity. A study by The Ohio State University found that &quot;pre-school aged children are likely to have a lower risk of obesity if they engage regularly in one or more of &hellip; specific household routines,&quot; and the first routine mentioned was eating dinner together as a family.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"template":"","tax_ctp_audience":[],"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_format":[171],"tax_ctp_illustration_types":[410],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3535,3569,3647,3726,3840,3960,4000,4160,4440,4596,4792,5130,5167],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-43597","sermon-illustrations","type-sermon-illustrations","status-publish","hentry","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-busyness","tax_ctp_tags-children","tax_ctp_tags-companionship","tax_ctp_tags-culture","tax_ctp_tags-eating","tax_ctp_tags-family","tax_ctp_tags-food","tax_ctp_tags-home","tax_ctp_tags-meals","tax_ctp_tags-parenting","tax_ctp_tags-relationship","tax_ctp_tags-teens","tax_ctp_tags-togetherness"],"acf":{"scripture_references":[{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.9 - 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