Plan family meals to prevent children's eating disorders

Excerpted from a story by Jean Enersen, KING 5 News, Seattle WA

Now researchers say they know one simple way families can help prevent the problem.

The Wachters eat together most nights - no matter how crazy their schedules get. "We don't get to spend as much time as we'd like to and that's really our time to reconnect," said Kim Wachter.

Another benefit: The time this family spends at the dinner table may also prevent eating disorders in their daughter. That's according to researcher and author Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer.

"We found that girls who ate more family meals were at lower risk for disordered eating behaviors such as unhealthy weight control behaviors and binge eating," she said. "They were at about half the risk for these behaviors."

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