Meals and televisions, a menu not recommended

The halls are designed around her. Many are informed and have fun thanks to the TV and it is an indisputable element in homes. However, the television must be dispensed with at many times: before sleep, during family gatherings and especially at lunchtime.

Many families have the TV at the time of eating as a norm, although this supposes a nutritional risk and a danger for the family environment. This has been determined by a study of University of Minesotta in Minneapolis, which has demonstrated how the presence of a television set on during meals affects both the physical and emotional health of households.


Few homes eat without TV

To analyze its hypothesis, the team of researchers analyzed the cases of 120 homes from Minneapolis where there would be at least one child between six and twelve years old. These families were asked to analyze their meals and record what they consumed and then transmit their feelings to those responsible for this study: whether they had felt happiness or fulfillment during these moments or had left them indifferent.

In this way the researchers analyzed on the one hand the healthiness of the food on the table and the emotional climate of the families, and of course, if the presence of a television could have something to do with this activity. The results showed that only a third of these households sat at the table with the television turned off and that most of them always watched the broadcast of some product broadcast.


In particular, the 43% of families Participants in this study stated that at home there was always a TV on during each of the meals of the day. On the other hand a quarter of households confirmed that at least once a day they were fed watching television.

Regarding the use that these families gave to television, two thirds of the households that ate with this device turned on recognized that they showed More attention to the screen that to what was happening around him. The rest claimed to use the television as background noise during their meals.

More health and enjoyment without a television

The results showed that in those cases where families claimed to eat without a television on, the answers to their level of happiness were better. Almost all of them said they had a good memory of this moment of the day and enjoyed more when they sat down at the table. On the contrary, those who ate food in front of the television said that I was indifferent.


In addition, the homes where the TV was turned off the food that was on the table were healthier than in the rest of the families. It also stresses that as the presence of television increases at this time, the menu quality it is impoverishing.

In this way the families who had their TV as background noise had a menu composed of healthy foods and other ingredients high in fat. On the contrary, the homes where television was the center of attention, there was a great presence of junk food, so the members of this unit were more likely to suffer from overweight and obesity with the health problems that both carry.

At this point the researchers state that it is always better to eat with the TV turned off to create an adequate family atmosphere where the dialogue be the center. Members of many households are only seen at this time, so meals can be the perfect time to discuss how the day has gone, share laughs and strengthen ties.

Damián Montero

Video: Frozen Diet Meal Taste Test


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