A new study links having three important family routines to reducing obesity in preschoolers. See which ones matter.

 Having Good Family Routines Linked to Reducing Obesity in Pre-Schoolers

A new study of preschool-aged children exposed to the 3 household routines of regularly eating the evening meal (more than five nights a week) as a family, obtaining adequate nighttime sleep (more than 10.5 hours per night), and having limited screen-viewing time (less than two hours per day) had an 40% lower prevalence of obesity than those exposed to none of these routines. These household routines may be promising targets for obesity-prevention efforts in early childhood, the study said.

HOUSEHOLD ROUTINES AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY

A study in the February edition of the journal Pediatrics examines the impact of specific household routines on the prevalence of obesity in preschool children.  Routines studied included:  regularly eating the evening meal as a family (more than five nights per week), getting adequate sleep on weekdays (more than 10.5 hours per night), and limited screen-viewing time (less than two hours per day of television, video or DVD).   The study authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of over 8,500 four-year-old children in the US who were assessed in 2005 in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort.  Analyses were adjusted for the child’s race/ethnicity, maternal obesity and education, household income and living in a single parent household.  The prevalence of obesity was 14.3% among children who were exposed to all three routines and 24.5% among those who were not exposed to any of the routines.  The study authors conclude tha

t targeting these routines may be an effective method for obesity prevention in early childhood.  To access the study online, go to http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-0417v1.