It was observed that families that had female children, were more likely to have their meals together, without sitting in front of the television, many times a week. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)

In a family, especially one in lockdown, it is imperative that members communicate openly and in a healthy way, so there is less disaccord and more harmony. When you spend several days living with the same people under the same roof, it is natural to have some conflict. But, it can be avoided. A recent study suggests that members of a family can share meals together, and that it is just a matter of improving communication at home.

Published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the study links less discouraging talks and better communication with higher possibilities of eating meals together — in the morning and in the evenings — and not in front of the television.

For the research, some 259 parents were studied, who were patients at the Ohio State University or the Wake Forest University-recognised weight management and bariatric surgery facilities. During the course of the research, it was found that those parents who had healthier communications and lesser discouraging talks about their eating habits were more likely be a part of family meals.

The study also noted that parents who thought of their child as ‘obese’, were more than four times more likely to have talks about their weight. And while open and honest communications are encouraged, it is also important that these things do not affect children’s development of healthy body image, the authors of the study noted.

In the research, while there were also clear differences between male and female child, it was observed that families that had female children, were more likely to have their meals together, without sitting in front of the television, many times a week. And those with young children, regardless of their gender, were also likely to eat dinners and breakfasts together.