Rumour: Adolescent girls who eat alone one or more times a week are more likely to be overweight.
Truth: This is true.
Research has shown that eating a meal as a family is important in maintaining a healthy eating environment for children. A study conducted in Japan investigated whether childhood obesity was a result of eating alone. The study was published in BMC Pediatrics. The participants consisted of 890 adolescents ages 12-13. Participants filled out a survey about the frequency of eating alone per week. Researchers analyzed the relationship between eating alone and being overweight after gathering the heights and weights.
The results of the study determined that there was a relationship between eating alone and weight in adolescent girls. Girls who ate alone one or more times a week had an increased risk of becoming overweight than girls who did not eat alone. To read more about this study, click here.
