Structured daily routine protects against overweight

A structured family life protects children from being overweight.

(02.07.2010) Regular eating together, structural requirements and rituals protect mainly children from being overweight. It is just not the "little extras" that lead to unhealthy diet and overweight, but the under-lived family life. This resulted in a new AOK Family Study 2010, which was presented in Berlin. In the AOK study about 2000 parents from all over Germany were interviewed. About 16 percent of children in Germany are overweight.

A structured daily routine has less to do with a fixed set of rules, but rather something to do with rituals such as eating together. According to the AOK study, children who only eat irregularly with their parents have twice the risk of being overweight. Only 64 percent of parents in Germany regularly have breakfast with their children. Having breakfast together gives the children physical and mental strength and security. When sitting together at the table, the course of the day can be discussed, the children can orient themselves based on the arrangements made. According to the study, it is proven that the risk of overweight is reduced and the risk of mental illness is minimized.

Parents should also take a break for the children more often. Relaxed parents also promote the health of children. If parents do not participate in events in the school or kindergarten, the proportion of mental symptoms increases from 13 to 32 percent. An interest of the parents also increases the mental stability of the children.

Many parents today are barely able to set limits against the excessive consumption of different media. Only two-thirds of parents manage to classify media consumption. About 30 percent of children who have no limits on media consumption are overweight. Conclusion: a shared family life protects the health of our children. (Sb)

Also read:
More and more children have back pain
Children's clothing often contains pollutants
Ökotest: Almost all air mattresses are poisonous

Picture: Rolf van Melis