home › Problems › Why you can’t eat in front of the TV and computer. The way you dine is the way your family is. Why can't you eat in front of the TV? How to get your family used to eating without a screen

Why you can’t eat in front of the TV and computer. The way you dine is the way your family is. Why can't you eat in front of the TV? How to get your family used to eating without a screen

Meeting at a common table for an occasion family lunch or is an excellent opportunity to determine how family members relate to each other and how strong their union is. Unfortunately, it is very rare these days for a husband, wife and children to have dinner together. Most often, each of them takes food out of the refrigerator, heats it and eats it in front of the TV.

If family does not follow the routine of a common dinner, this always indicates that for its members, a joint meal has long been no longer an occasion for pleasant communication. The common table for them became a place for showdowns and quarrels. In families where everyone at home is open with each other, rejoices at the successes of loved ones and worries about their failures, the mother of the family always takes into account the taste and preferences of each member. Every day she tries to turn a common dinner into a holiday, imagining the joint communication in advance and choosing recipes for dishes that everyone will like. In this case, dinner becomes the framework of family life; during general meetings at the table, friendly and respectful relationships are built in such families.

Not so it is important with what regularity and frequency family members gather at the same table, the main thing is how they behave during these rare meetings. 50 years ago, children did not have the right to talk while sharing a meal with adults. Today, as soon as the little one takes his place at the common table, he immediately becomes the object of everyone's attention. A family dinner after the birth of a child turns into a small performance where the baby plays the main role, and the rest look at him, admire him and laugh.

For child For a school-aged child, conversation at the table with his parents plays an important role only if he feels coziness and comfort while eating. This is when he is not afraid to stay in very close proximity to his parents: opposite each other, eye to eye. If, every time at the table, his parents interrogate him, raise topics that are unpleasant for him, ask about unfinished homework, talk about problems with discipline, or half-heartedly ask the same question that irritates him: “Well, how are things at school?” then the child will soon not want to have dinner with his parents. He will try to have a snack before they come home from work, and will tell them: “I don’t want to have dinner yet, I’ll eat a little later!”

It also happens, parents at the table they are completely occupied with their problems, communicating with each other, without giving the child the opportunity to say a word. The child is not interested in their conversation; he wants to draw their attention to himself with all his might. If he doesn’t succeed, he very soon finds a way to relieve tension and eat silently at the common table. To do this, he asks his parents to turn on the TV for him or puts a tablet in front of him so that he can eat, completely immersed in the glowing screen and not reacting to the conversations of adults. After a while, “eating while watching TV” becomes a bad habit for a child, which not only worsens digestion, but also leads to addiction.

Nutritionists prohibit eating in front of a TV, computer or tablet not at all because this is an indicator of disrespect for those who sit at the same table with you and is uncultured, but because, distracted by watching a movie or the news, a person eats much more than necessary and quickly gaining excess weight. The results of the scientists' analyzes showed that among people who regularly watch TV while eating, 37 percent more suffer from obesity than among those who prefer not to be distracted from the process of eating.

A person whose attention during food glued to the screen, does not enjoy the process of eating. Meanwhile, it is very important to not overeat and gain extra pounds, chew food slowly and thoroughly, and not swallow it blindly. After all, when all attention is focused on the screen, it is impossible to estimate by eye how much you have already eaten and enjoy the look of your dish.

View And taste of the dish- important factors that help you stay slim. Those who regularly eat only home-cooked food have a 26 percent lower risk of obesity than those who prefer to eat lunch and dinner in canteens, cafes and restaurants. At home, you need to eat from small plates so that psychologically the portion seems larger and the feeling of fullness comes faster. Large plates make you want to fill them to the brim and eat the entire meal. This certainly leads to overeating.

Nutritionists It is recommended to use various psychological techniques to lose weight. For example, buy plates in blue, black and gray, as these colors reduce appetite. This is explained by the fact that such colors are rare in natural products, so they do not cause appetite. The same cannot be said about orange and red dishes; on a subconscious level, they only whet your appetite.

Conclusion: Be careful if for someone in your home the TV or computer has become the center of your table. This is a sign that everything is bad in your family. A glowing screen masks the emptiness that has arisen between spouses or parents with children, and to prevent the habit of watching TV while eating from leading not only to obesity, but also to the collapse of the family, make every effort to make dinner at a common table a place of calm and interesting dialogue with family and friends dear to you.

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Eating while watching a movie is every family's favorite pastime. Unfortunately, such leisure has many negative consequences. Let's consider why it is better to dine in the dining room without a TV or laptop.

Why is it better to avoid sitting in front of the TV?

Cinema causes a surge of emotions that provoke hormones. They, in turn, provoke the viewer to eat several times more, without even noticing it.

Negative consequences:

Important! Those who eat high-calorie foods on the couch are at risk for diseases such as diabetes and arterial hypertension.

How to get your family used to eating without a screen

The first steps in solving problems are always the most difficult. But by showing minimal willpower, you can achieve magical results, and even create new family traditions.

Important! The main problem with eating in front of a screen is the mechanical consumption of foods.

Ways to solve the problem:

Replacement of unhealthy snack:

chopped fruit;
vegetables;
berries;
healthy sandwiches and preparations.

Important! No TV at the table means more family conversations. This entails the absence of stress, conflicts, and a more favorable, trusting “climate” in the family. Everyone needs to speak out, get support, there is no need to take this time away from children and spouses.

It is difficult to give up a long-standing habit. However, only the first 2-3 weeks will be difficult. After which the psyche will stabilize and get used to the new routine.

No TV means less stress, more time for yourself and family. Not sitting on the couch will eliminate the problem of excess weight and force you to go outside. You will have time for your children and yourself.

The University of Minnesota conducted a study to find out how dangerous and/or harmful it is to eat in front of the TV. Particular attention was paid to how this process affects the health of the family and the atmosphere prevailing in it.

It turned out that if you eat in front of the TV, there is a risk of health problems, incl. and mental, seriously increases.

Who took part in the study?

The study involved 120 American families, one of whose members was a child aged 6 to 12 years. Scientists asked them to film two family dinners and discuss whether they liked the dishes they ate.

It turned out that 43% of families (almost half) sit in front of the TV during meals. And only 31% of families turn off the “box” before family dinner.

Having received this data, the researchers studied the health of all participants in the experiment. It turned out that representatives of those families who watch TV during lunches and dinners have a worse experience than representatives of families who communicate and share news and experiences with each other while eating, and also discuss pressing problems.

What are the main reasons

There are two reasons for this state of affairs:

When a person eating food is distracted by a blue screen, he pays less attention to what he puts into his mouth. Because of this, he overeats and eats more unhealthy foods.
Conversations around the dinner table act as therapeutic therapy. Family members share their thoughts and experiences with each other, which has a positive effect on their mental health.

Therefore, scientists recommend that all families turn off their TVs during family lunches and dinners, and communicate more with each other. After all, this is not only useful, but also pleasant, and also has a positive effect on the relationship between parents and children.

Eating in front of a screen will bring neither benefit nor joy, scientists say

A group of experts representing the University of Minnesota said that families who turn on the TV while eating together are making a serious mistake. According to the researchers, for both physical and psychological health and well-being of a person, the TV should be turned off during meals.

Among the not most frightening, but quite significant arguments, scientists cite the fact that food eaten in front of the TV simply brings less pleasure. Surveys conducted by scientists showed that families whose members looked at a screen while eating subsequently rated the quality of dinner lower than those who were not distracted by anything other than talking to each other during this time.

Scientists also advise not to underestimate the role of sharing dinner in itself as a form of communication within the family. In particular, it is during dinner that parents have the chance to unobtrusively ask their children how their day was, and also, by example, demonstrate to them how to eat properly.

After conducting a study involving 120 families with children aged 6 to 12 years, scientists came to the conclusion that people who eat when the TV is turned off are more likely to eat healthy. Without being distracted by TV, they were less likely to overeat, thereby avoiding excess weight. In addition, such people ate more slowly, which, according to scientists, is also good for health. Finally, although it is quite difficult to directly connect these facts, people who did not turn on the TV during dinner were more likely to eat healthy food rather than fast food.

Scientists point out that many of the patterns they identified were observed even if members of a particular family turned on the TV in the background, rather than actively watching it.

Experts shared their findings on the pages of the scientific journal Appetite.

Hello, dear readers! Let me guess, are you watching TV now? And not only now, but also in the kitchen during lunch and on the sofa in the evening? 80% of people consider watching movies and TV shows to be the most best vacation. So in this article I will prove the opposite to you and tell you whether you can watch TV.

TV and propaganda

A person is bombarded with a huge flow of information every day: at work, at university, on the radio, from external advertising. At best, the brain is able to filter this information and take only what is needed, but often this flow negatively affects mood, thoughts and state of mind. It is not for nothing that there is a science of mass communications, where they teach how to influence the masses, on human consciousness and through what channels.

These channels are TV and the Internet. But the problem is that on the Internet we ourselves look for what we want. In the case of television, it is more difficult to reject information.

Let's remember the times of the USSR. Back then there was little to watch on TV; information was strictly filtered. This was propaganda - the main instrument of influence on a person’s decisions and worldview.

On TV, not only political views are imposed on us, but they also create an ideal world. We learn that our relationship is not as fairy-tale as in the movies. The house and life are not in such order. Work and lifestyle itself want to be better. All this is influenced by beautiful and bright advertising.

The height of the skill of advertisers is when they create an artificial need for a person for their product. For example, you never thought before how many microbes live under your toilet rim and what military plans they are building against you. Undoubtedly, it is necessary to clean, but until there were products from companies known to us, there was no need to fight germs. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

So let's figure out whether the TV is useful in any way or is it just negative.

Positive and negative aspects of the issue

Since TV has a great influence on a person, it is worth comparing all the points and deciding whether you need it or not.

The benefits of watching TV

1.Easy access to information
Of course, every person should be aware of events happening in the world. That's what news programs are for. The TV allows you to find out all the news that you can find while switching channels. But this leads to a minus called propaganda. And so that this advantage does not turn into harm, you need to be able to distinguish true information from imposition and manipulation. More on this later.

2.Broadening your horizons
In addition to news, there are a large number of educational programs on TV that broaden your horizons and teach you something. But in this case, it is also important not to overdo it. After all, it is much more interesting to explore the world on your own than lying on the couch.

3. Rest
No matter how much we talk about active recreation, sometimes you just want to stay at home and relax. TV will always help with this, because there you can watch movies and listen to music.

Perhaps these are all advantages. Would you say that they are all very significant and compensate for all subsequent disadvantages? After all, information is important, and you also need to rest. But now let's take a look at how television negatively affects your life.

Why can't you watch TV?

1.Creating virtual reality

If you say that TV series and various reality shows have no effect on a person, and this is only a way to escape from problems, I won’t believe it. This is where all the negativity lies. Man runs away from real life, so as not to decide anything in it. It’s much easier to lie on the couch and worry about the characters on the screen. While watching something, you get the impression that everything on TV is perfect, everything is so simple and there is always a happy ending, but in your own life everything is darker.

It's worse when envy appears. After all, a rich life is often shown on the screen. Do you think this acts as a stimulus to action? No, on the contrary. There is a feeling that this will never be achieved, because everything is bad as it is. Depression appears.

2.Influence on the psyche

Nowadays, censorship practically does not exist. And the blue screen provides an opportunity to learn what violence, murder, theft, eroticism and other similar things are. It’s okay if you encounter such phenomena once a month, but, unfortunately, we see this every day. As a result, when a person wants to relax after a hard day, on the contrary, he receives a portion of negativity. This has a bad effect on the psyche, causing irritability and, again, depression.

3.Human degradation

I know many people who complain about life and do nothing. And what do you think are their main entertainments? Yes, sit in front of the “box” and click on channels. This is already an addiction. A person loses interest in the world around him and does not want to make decisions or change anything. He is more satisfied with watching other people's lives than acting himself. Do you have such friends?

4. Destruction of families

Remember those moments when the electricity suddenly goes out? Then the whole family sits on the sofa and talks by candlelight: dad jokes and everyone laughs. Today the family only gets together for dinner. Dad is at the computer, mom is watching TV, and the children are sitting on their phones - there is no communication. Everyone is getting used to it. This is very bad. Better buy board games, have a dinner, invite guests - anything to do something together.

Here are the negative sides. And that is not all

A person must develop throughout his life, learn something new, and be able to plan his time. And television takes away this time. Do you think when successful and rich people say they don't watch TV, they're lying? No, its true. Instead of watching TV, they chose self-development.

In addition, television has a bad effect on health. Primarily on vision and the nervous system. But children are the most influenced.

How does TV affect children?

Unfortunately, modern parents do not always find time to take care of their children. And when they are capricious, you need to play with them and entertain them. But you need to cook food and work. Then it's time for the TV nanny. The easiest way is to sit the child in front of him and turn on cartoons.

Do you think that nothing terrible is happening and everyone is happy? Moreover, cartoons are educational? But no. Let's take a look at what can happen to a child when constantly watching “good” programs:

nervous system disorders (stuttering, aggressiveness, insomnia, headache);
vision problems due to overstrain of the eye muscles, subsequently – strabismus and myopia;
telemania, when a person is addicted to TV;
obesity - since the child is bored while watching, especially when he is alone at home, he begins to consume sandwiches, chips and other unhealthy foods;
decrease in intellectual level - when watching, the brain does not strain, there is no need to think.

All these problems can also arise in an adult.

Negative influence in the current moment can seriously affect the future: both on the physical and moral state.

I will not tire of repeating that a person, and especially a child, must develop. The ability to sit on the couch in front of the screen will not give you anything. But other talents that are important to develop can bring success.

How to replace a TV and how to develop without it?

We have already found out why you should not watch TV. But what useful things can replace it?

1.Books
Literature is an excellent replacement for constant melodramas on TV. If you want to dive headfirst into an exciting story, then a book is better than a TV series. Books contribute to:

broadening one's horizons;
increasing vocabulary;
increasing intelligence and literacy levels;
development of self-confidence.

In addition, books help you relax and be in a positive mood.

2.Hobby
Find something you enjoy doing in the evening. You don’t have to have any talent; you can learn something from scratch. This could be: design, drawing, handmade, cooking, modeling, puzzle. Such activities help develop imagination, relax, see the results of work and become more self-confident.

3.Communication
If you turn on the TV so as not to sit in silence and not be lonely, it is better to replace it with live communication. Don't say that there are no friends or that they are all busy right now. You can always find new acquaintances. Combine business with pleasure: sign up for a section: dancing, sports, handicrafts, theater, etc. There you will learn new things and find friends.

4.Radio and films
If you cannot do without external noise, for example, while cooking in the kitchen, turn on the radio. There is music playing there, but there is practically no news trash. Cinematography has not been canceled either. A good movie is the same as good book. But not a series, but a film. And it is advisable to watch the disc so that there are no advertisements. Yes, and don’t overdo it. You shouldn't watch three films in a row, otherwise it gets addictive.

Here is a list of good films to help you: .