VOA慢速英语2018--Benefits of Eating Together

 

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

We all need to eat. So, meals could be a chance to stop what we’re doing and spend time with the people in our lives.

But sometimes they are not.

It does not matter if a person is married or single; is a parent or not; is working or retired¹. From time to time, we all eat last-minute meals alone. And, of course, eating alone at home or at a restaurant can be a very satisfying experience.

However, could eating too many meals alone be bad for our health or affect our future success?

Several studies show that it might for some people.

A recent study from a team of South Korean researchers suggests that frequently eating alone may lead to poor eating habits and poor food choices.

Specifically, the study found that men who ate alone more than twice a week had a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol² and diabetes³.

Benefits of family dinners on children and teenagers

For children, eating with their families is not only about preventing bad outcomes – it is also about developing good ones.

Several studies have looked at the long-term effects eating with families has on a child. Experts say that these studies do not seem to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. However, they do suggest a strong correlation⁴, or link.

In 2014, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) looked at data from nearly three-quarters of the world’s countries. Among its findings was the fact that students who shared a main meal with their families were less likely to skip school.

Children who eat a main meal with their families are also less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.

That was a finding of a study by the National Center on Addiction⁵ and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York. The 2012 CASA report found that “family dinners were strongly linked to teen substance use prevention.”

In the report, titled “The Importance of Family Dinners (VIII),” researchers say that “teens who have frequent family dinners are more likely to say their parents know a lot about what’s...going on in their lives …”

They also claim that when teens say they feel closer to their parents, they are less likely to use drugs and alcohol.

Another study from the University of Montreal found that children who ate with their families experience long-term physical and mental health benefits. These children were physically⁶ in better shape and drank fewer sugary soft drinks. These children also seemed to have better social skills and self-reported that they were less aggressive.

One of the researchers involved in this study is a professor of psychoeducation at the university.

Linda Pagani says that there is “a handful of research suggesting a positive link between eating family meals together frequently and child and adolescent health.”

Pagani says that mealtimes shared with parents “likely provide young children with firsthand social interaction, discussions of social issues and day-to-day concerns.” She adds that they may likely help the child have better communications skills with others.

Ways to eat together more

If you find too many of your mealtimes to be lonely events, experts at the Mental Health Foundation in the U.K. suggest making small changes.

Its website says to make room for at least one shared meal a week. And keep it simple. Even if dinner is a salad and a sandwich, it is still time for a family to be together.

If mornings are less busy than evenings, start by making breakfast your shared meal.

If you live alone, reach out to those in your social circle or neighborhood. Once a month potluck dinners where everyone brings a dish could be an easy way to start.

If you work in an office, step out with a co-worker for a bite to eat every once in a while, instead of eating at your desk every day.

Or you could simply schedule time in your week to share a cup of coffee or tea with a friend.

And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

retire - v. to give up a job permanently⁷ : quit working

habit - n. something that a person does in a regular and repeated way

correlation - n. the relationship between things that happen or change together

data - n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze⁸, or plan something

skip school – phrase to miss school without permission

psychoeducation - n. health psychology⁹ combined with behavioral counseling and psychotherapy

positive - adj. good or useful

adolescent - n. a young person who is developing into an adult

interaction - n. to talk or do things with other people

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

3 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

4 correlation   

n.相互关系，相关，关连

参考例句：

• The second group of measurements had a high correlation with the first.第二组测量数据与第一组高度相关。
• A high correlation exists in America between education and economic position.教育和经济地位在美国有极密切的关系。

5 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

6 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

7 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

8 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

9 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。