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Evidence-based Facts
Evidence-based facts serve as the foundation for persuasive messaging, providing concrete support for claims and helping to build trust with the audience. By weaving in verified data and well-researched information, your content not only becomes more convincing but also resonates more deeply with readers, as it is rooted in reality and demonstrates a commitment to accuracy.
Facts to Weave into Copy
Sometimes it's the duration of the meal and not just the menu that impacts fruit and vegetable intake. Simply adding ten minutes to the family meal experience positively impacted children's diet and eating behavior.1
Enjoying meals together as a family is a great way to get stronger emotionally, physically, and mentally!2
Family meals are associated with better weight management, improved physical health and improved mental health.3-5
More family meals mean more fruits and vegetables consumed.6
The communication and relationship skills learned at family meals prepare us to survive and thrive during life's ups and downs.7
Increasing the frequency of family meals decreases the frequency of disordered eating, alcohol and substance use, violent behavior, and feelings of depression in adolescents.8
More frequent family meals mean less childhood overweight or obesity.9
Family meals offer opportunities to teach civility, respectful interactions and polite discourse.10
Gather the family around your dinner table and see what develops. Research shows there will likely be more fruits and vegetables consumed11 and spirits lifted.12
Family meals are like a parent's superpower: they help parents influence food choices, model good nutrition, and build family relationships.13-15
If you're trying to improve the mental and physical health of your family, look no further than tonight's family meal. Research shows family meals are associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake, reduced incidence of overweight and obesity, improved mental health and better social interactions.16-18
Diet? Check. Exercise? Check. What about family meals? Family meals are an excellent opportunity to reduce your child's likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors such as experimenting with drugs and alcohol.19
Family meals could help diffuse the negativity of today's charged socio-political climate. Most Americans agree family meals family meals are a great time to have and teach respectful interactions.20
Looking to improve your diet? Have more family meals! Research shows that increasing the frequency of family meals improves overall diet quality.21
Do you think family meals are just good for kids? Think again! Family meals also provide nutritional, physical, and social benefits to parents.22
Increasing family meals today improves children's long-term emotional stability. Research shows they are less aggressive, less anti-social, and less reactive.23
Eating family meals is good; spending more time around the table is even better. Extending mealtimes by just ten minutes can further improve diet quality and eating behavior among children.24
Family meals today offer benefits long term. Youth who enjoyed up to five family meals per week were less likely to be overweight or obese after ten years.25
Footnotes
1 Dallacker, Mattea et al. "Effect of Longer Family Meals on Children's Fruit and Vegetable Intake." JAMA Network Open, 2023.
2 Robson SM, McCullough MB, Rex S, Munafò MR, Taylor G. Family Meal Frequency, Diet, and Family Functioning: A Systematic Review With Meta-analyses. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2020;52(5):553-564. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2019.12.012
3 Dallacker, Mattea et al. "Effect of Longer Family Meals on Children's Fruit and Vegetable Intake." JAMA Network Open, 2023.
4 Caldwell, A R et al. "Is frequency of family meals associated with fruit and vegetable intake among preschoolers? A logistic regression analysis." Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2018.
5 Utter J, Larson N, Berge JM, Eisenberg ME, Fulkerson JA, Neumark-Sztainer D. Family meals among parents: Associations with nutritional, social and emotional wellbeing. Preventive Medicine. 2018;113:7-12. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.05.006
6Melo, Giselle Rhaisa do Amaral e et al. "Family meal frequency and its association with food consumption and nutritional status in adolescents: A systematic review." PLOS One, 2020.
7 Robson SM, McCullough MB, Rex S, Munafò MR, Taylor G. Family Meal Frequency, Diet, and Family Functioning: A Systematic Review With Meta-analyses. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2020;52(5):553-564. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2019.12.012
8 Harrison, Megan E. et al. "Systematic review of the effects of family meal frequency on psychosocial outcomes in youth." Canadian Family Physician, 2015.
9 Lee, H J et al. "Do family meals affect childhood overweight or obesity?: nationwide survey 2008-2012." Pediatric Obesity, 2016.
10 2024 “Staying Strong with Family Meals” Barometer summary
11Melo, Giselle Rhaisa do Amaral e et al. "Family meal frequency and its association with food consumption and nutritional status in adolescents: A systematic review." PLOS One, 2020.
12 Utter, Jennifer et al., "Family meals among parents: Associations with nutritional, social and emotional wellbeing." Preventive Medicine, 2018.
13 Dallacker, Mattea et al. "Effect of Longer Family Meals on Children's Fruit and Vegetable Intake." JAMA Network Open, 2023.
14 Caldwell, A R et al. "Is frequency of family meals associated with fruit and vegetable intake among preschoolers? A logistic regression analysis." Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2018.
15 Utter J, Larson N, Berge JM, Eisenberg ME, Fulkerson JA, Neumark-Sztainer D. Family meals among parents: Associations with nutritional, social and emotional wellbeing. Preventive Medicine. 2018;113:7-12. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.05.006
16 Berge, Jerica M. et al. "The Protective Role of Family Meals for Youth Obesity: 10-year Longitudinal Associations." The Journal of Pediatrics, 2014.
17 Dallacker, Mattea et al. "Effect of Longer Family Meals on Children's Fruit and Vegetable Intake." JAMA Network Open, 2023.
18 Harbec, Marie-Josée and Pagani, Linda S. "Associations Between Early Family Meal Environment Quality and Later Well-Being in School-Age Children." Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 2018.
19 Skeer, Margie R. and Ballard, Erica L . "Are family meals as good for youth as we think they are? A review of the literature on family meals as they pertain to adolescent risk prevention." Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2013.
20 2024 “Staying Strong with Family Meals” Barometer summary
21 Melo, Giselle Rhaisa do Amaral e et al. "Family meal frequency and its association with food consumption and nutritional status in adolescents: A systematic review." PLOS One, 2020.
22 Utter, Jennifer et al., "Family meals among parents: Associations with nutritional, social and emotional wellbeing." Preventive Medicine, 2018.
23 Harbec, Marie-Josée and Pagani, Linda S. "Associations Between Early Family Meal Environment Quality and Later Well-Being in School-Age Children." Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 2018.
24 Dallacker, Mattea et al. "Effect of Longer Family Meals on Children's Fruit and Vegetable Intake." JAMA Network Open, 2023.
25 Berge, Jerica M. et al. "The Protective Role of Family Meals for Youth Obesity: 10-year Longitudinal Associations." The Journal of Pediatrics, 2014.
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