Child obesity lowered by following 3 family routines

Written by James Gadsby-Peet 8th February 2010

Children who engage in family meals, sleep well and do not watch a lot of television are less likely to be obese than those who do not follow these household routines, according to recent research.

In a study of a large sample of the US population, four-year-old children living in homes with all three routines were almost 40 per cent less likely to be obese than children who did not follow such routines.

"Our research suggests these routines … may help families move beyond the discussion of eating and exercise to other aspects of behaviour and biology that have potential to be linked to obesity," said Sarah Anderson, assistant professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University and lead author of the study.

The study is available to view online and is to be published in the March issue of the journal Pediatrics.

According to the NHS, child obesity can be both avoided and reduced through healthy eating and regular exercise.

It recommends those under 18 get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day.