Did not work for me.

(out of breath from trying to grab the doritos on the other end of the sofa with my reaching stick)

Not if you are a parent who is a fat lazy slob.

Giving them hours and hours of chores helps too.

Are there really 4-year-olds who don't eat dinner with their parents and watch more than 2 hours of TV a day?

bad people are bad parents,
most people are bad people...

You gotta run em like the puppies they are.

I hope so.

I built this with my son over the weekend. He's six, so I'm hoping it will help him learn math.

/We even have 'LEGO' nights, where we all build stuff together.
//Even the wife loves building.

But with the internet and cable TV, the kids practically raise themselves

Bah.

FTA: "The researchers found that in children routinely exposed to all three of these behaviors (eating with family, reduced screen time, plenty of sleep), the obesity rate was 14.3 percent. In children who weren't exposed to any of these behaviors, the obesity rate was 24.5 percent."

So each of those factors makes, what, a 3% difference or so? Some correlation, I guess, but not much.

Valor: Are there really 4-year-olds who don't eat dinner with their parents and watch more than 2 hours of TV a day?

I used to ask this question, until we started learning more about the families with kids around us. It turns out that it is very typical for people to just get take-out/fast food all the time for their whole family. Everyone eats what they want, when they want and usually in front of the tube.

I'm lucky that I have a wife that is both skilled and motivated in the kitchen. I cook, too, but she is the organizer and it really does benefit us.

For instance, we've recently started using a slow cooker and love the hell out of it. I ask "why did people stop using these things?"

Because almost nobody cooks anymore.

Wow, Correlation equals causation. Who knew?

I blame the village.

Someone needs to say the same thing regarding education. The funding and teachers have a much smaller impact than the parents (or lack thereof).

Valor: Giving them hours and hours of chores helps too.

Are there really 4-year-olds who don't eat dinner with their parents and watch more than 2 hours of TV a day?

My 4 year old does not eat dinner with her parents. She eats dinner at her Grandma's because she's there till at least 6:00 PM. Both her parents work and we only eat together on the weekends.

Kareeshus: Bah.

FTA: "The researchers found that in children routinely exposed to all three of these behaviors (eating with family, reduced screen time, plenty of sleep), the obesity rate was 14.3 percent. In children who weren't exposed to any of these behaviors, the obesity rate was 24.5 percent."

So each of those factors makes, what, a 3% difference or so? Some correlation, I guess, but not much.

The total effect is a (10.5/24.5 =) 42% drop in obesity occurrence, so you may be under-cutting its effects. Cutting down on TV makes the other two easier, so it isn't so much 3 big projects to undertake as it is an integrated lifestyle decision.

Kareeshus: Bah.

FTA: "The researchers found that in children routinely exposed to all three of these behaviors (eating with family, reduced screen time, plenty of sleep), the obesity rate was 14.3 percent. In children who weren't exposed to any of these behaviors, the obesity rate was 24.5 percent."

So each of those factors makes, what, a 3% difference or so? Some correlation, I guess, but not much.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I'm betting the results have much more to do with what the kids are doing when they are not eating, sleeping or watching TV.

mybabysmomma: Valor: Giving them hours and hours of chores helps too.

Are there really 4-year-olds who don't eat dinner with their parents and watch more than 2 hours of TV a day?

My 4 year old does not eat dinner with her parents. She eats dinner at her Grandma's because she's there till at least 6:00 PM. Both her parents work and we only eat together on the weekends.

I'd love to eat dinner with my 4-year-old. :-( Most nights I get home just as supper's over.

Too bad many parents can't be bothered to actually be parents.

mybabysmomma: My 4 year old does not eat dinner with her parents. She eats dinner at her Grandma's because she's there till at least 6:00 PM. Both her parents work and we only eat together on the weekends.

If Grandma has a sit-down dinner, not in front of the tube, you'd reap the benefits. Eating together, paying attention to the meal allows the parent (caregiver in this case) the opportunity to monitor intake.

Of course if your Grandma is anything like my in-laws, those benefits may be outweighed by their liberal dessert policies. Results may vary.

CygnusDarius: I blame Obama.

/ 10/10?
//Please?

Nope, his kids are both skinny.

factoryconnection: Valor: Are there really 4-year-olds who don't eat dinner with their parents and watch more than 2 hours of TV a day?

I used to ask this question, until we started learning more about the families with kids around us. It turns out that it is very typical for people to just get take-out/fast food all the time for their whole family. Everyone eats what they want, when they want and usually in front of the tube.

...For instance, we've recently started using a slow cooker and love the hell out of it.

That's painful to read. It's the culinary equivalent of telling your kids that your time is so important that you're willing to let them have health problems throughout their lives rather than take a moment and make them something healthy each day.

Slow cookers are dinner magic. And cost about $5 at a yard sale.

Kanemano: But with the internet and cable TV, the kids practically raise themselves

I am twelve and what does this mean?

factoryconnection: CygnusDarius: I blame Obama.

/ 10/10?
//Please?

Nope, his kids are both skinny.

I'd bet $1k that they will both grow big butts.

factoryconnection: Valor: Are there really 4-year-olds who don't eat dinner with their parents and watch more than 2 hours of TV a day?

I used to ask this question, until we started learning more about the families with kids around us. It turns out that it is very typical for people to just get take-out/fast food all the time for their whole family. Everyone eats what they want, when they want and usually in front of the tube.

I'm lucky that I have a wife that is both skilled and motivated in the kitchen. I cook, too, but she is the organizer and it really does benefit us.

For instance, we've recently started using a slow cooker and love the hell out of it. I ask "why did people stop using these things?"

Because almost nobody cooks anymore.

This.

I just started working as a teacher in September, and I'm shocked at how many of my students don't have any semblance of organized family life like I had back when I was young. I asked a few weeks ago how many of my students ate a home cooked meal at the table with their family every night. Only two out of 23 in the class did. And they were my highest-achieving students. I wonder if there's any correlation there?

My wife and I love cooking together, so it's not going to be an issue for us. When we eat at restaurants, our conversation usually consists of figuring out how we could make for ourselves whatever it is we're eating.

factoryconnection: mybabysmomma: My 4 year old does not eat dinner with her parents. She eats dinner at her Grandma's because she's there till at least 6:00 PM. Both her parents work and we only eat together on the weekends.

If Grandma has a sit-down dinner, not in front of the tube, you'd reap the benefits. Eating together, paying attention to the meal allows the parent (caregiver in this case) the opportunity to monitor intake.

Of course if your Grandma is anything like my in-laws, those benefits may be outweighed by their liberal dessert policies. Results may vary.

For a kid, the extra slice of cake or pie or extra cup of ice cream will not make nearly as big of a difference as it does to an adult.

Letting your kid hang out in his room all night eating endless bags of doritos and consuming soda until 3 AM will make a difference.

In this day and age, it almost seems like just sitting down and eating as a whole family is looked at as extreme by many families.

factoryconnection: mybabysmomma: My 4 year old does not eat dinner with her parents. She eats dinner at her Grandma's because she's there till at least 6:00 PM. Both her parents work and we only eat together on the weekends.

If Grandma has a sit-down dinner, not in front of the tube, you'd reap the benefits. Eating together, paying attention to the meal allows the parent (caregiver in this case) the opportunity to monitor intake.

Of course if your Grandma is anything like my in-laws, those benefits may be outweighed by their liberal dessert policies. Results may vary.

No, I'm lucky. Her Grandma is pretty good,,,veggies and good for you food most of the time. And she was an grade school teacher for 35 years so my daughter gets some extra learnin in after preschool is over. It's her Granny and PawPaw that fill her full of the sugar and that's usually just one day a week.

Quit buying crap at the grocery store. They wont eat what you dont have in the house.

Both me and my son were overweight until we both started excercising and I stopped buying shiatty food at the store. We've since dropped 71 and 56 lbs respectively. It's not that hard.

The main thing? You MUST be willing to do yourself what you tell your kids to do. Otherwise, it will not work.

Kanemano: But with the internet and cable TV, the kids practically raise themselves

Don't forget those Baby Einstein DVDs.
I can a stick the kid in front of the TV and remain high-brow!

I know a family whose kid rarely eats at the same time that the parents do. He's six now, but this has been going on since he was old enough to grasp a fork on his own. His mom claims that the kid will only eat chicken fingers and ketchup, so she always makes his dinner separately, then hovers over him and scolds while he plays with his food, thus ensuring that he develops plenty of anxiety issues about eating. I've quit going to restaurants with them because the whole thing is a farking nightmare with mommy making crazy demands for Pickyboy, who in turn literally cannot sit still for 15 seconds. Daddy just drinks heavily and ignores them both.

Oh, but the kid's really tall for his age and not overweight, so in the parents' eyes they're doing nothing wrong. Sigh.

The four-year-old nephewling refuses to eat anything but chicken nuggets as his main course. He's basically like his father, picky as hell, but they're both very active, fit, and do eat fruit and nuts and raw carrots every four hours.

/So...this article is crap

Gortex: I just started working as a teacher in September, and I'm shocked at how many of my students don't have any semblance of organized family life like I had back when I was young. I asked a few weeks ago how many of my students ate a home cooked meal at the table with their family every night. Only two out of 23 in the class did. And they were my highest-achieving students. I wonder if there's any correlation there?

I'd be shocked too. I had no idea most parents had gotten that lazy. We go out to eat once every couple months, and order delivery maybe once every two months. I'd have to put in extra hours at work to earn enough to eat the way they do. Which means I wouldn't have time to cook, which means... right. I'd be on the same vicious cycle they are.

Great. Just one more alarmist thing to make working parents feel guiltier than they already do. Even if we could afford for one or the other of us to stay at home with the kid full time, the other would still get home way past dinner time. What are you supposed to do? Tell your boss, "I can't work until 6:30 nymore because my kid'll get fat if I don't get home soon"? I'm sure that'll work.

Juniper Jupiter: ... they're both very active, fit, and do eat fruit and nuts and raw carrots every four hours.

/So...this article is crap

If that kid really does that, he is healthy as heck.
Chicken Nuggets as a main course, so he is still eating vegetables and fruits and probably whole wheat on the side.
PLUS fruit nuts and vegetable every 4 hours?
That is a serious athletic training diet and sounds great.

ThurmanMerman: Great. Just one more alarmist thing to make working parents feel guiltier than they already do. Even if we could afford for one or the other of us to stay at home with the kid full time, the other would still get home way past dinner time. What are you supposed to do? Tell your boss, "I can't work until 6:30 nymore because my kid'll get fat if I don't get home soon"? I'm sure that'll work.

This is a GREAT article.
You have to decide what is important for YOU.
You can take what you want from the article... Having dinner together is just 1 part of the equation.
Make sure kids don't watch TV. Makes sure they are active and make sure they aren't just eating prepared foods and takeout every night.

As a former chef with a culinary arts degree, I am getting a kick out of these replies. I do all the cooking in my house, and my kids get to play Wii Fit along with other games.
I'll run them on the treadmill before I let them pack on the pounds.

/used to be a fat kid

CygnusDarius: I blame Obama.

/ 10/10?
//Please?

It is Bushes fault

/troll volley

Gortex:
I just started working as a teacher in September, and I'm shocked at how many of my students don't have any semblance of organized family life like I had back when I was young. I asked a few weeks ago how many of my students ate a home cooked meal at the table with their family every night. Only two out of 23 in the class did. And they were my highest-achieving students. I wonder if there's any correlation there?

My wife and I love cooking together, so it's not going to be an issue for us. When we eat at restaurants, our conversation usually consists of figuring out how we could make for ourselves whatever it is we're eating.

I've got my brother and my 3 year old niece living with me right now and although I wouldn't say her diet is the best, my brother does do a good job. Still about one night a week he buys a burrito that he shares with her. That doesn't really qualify as a home cooked meal but it still takes care of the sitting down part. My point being that you can have take out food every once in a while and still have the 'home cooked meal' experience. Just don't be lazy and make it every night of the week (or even more than occasionally.)

I'm a single, working mom, and I eat dinner with my daughter every night she's with me. She eats dinner with her dad whenever she's with him. We make it a priority.

Of course, I'm sure we both separately and jointly make a plethora of other mistakes, because raising kids is hard, but our daughter sits at the table and eats dinner with Mom or Dad every night.

My kids seem a bit too young to actually be parents, but if it'll keep them from becoming obese, I'll give it a try.

TL;DR for the whole thread:

The more of the right kind of attention you give your children, the better off they are.

Shamwow: I blame the village.

Who is Number One?

jdmac: CygnusDarius: I blame Obama.

/ 10/10?
//Please?

It is Bushes fault

/troll volley

I blame Taft.

And, proper use; of punctuation, marks

Dirtysnipe: And, proper use; of punctuation, marks

Punctuation , is? fun!

Barakku: jdmac: CygnusDarius: I blame Obama.

It is Bushes fault

I blame Taft.

I blame Van Buren.