family dinner is where it's at

How Thanksgiving Promotes Health and Happiness

Each year on the fourth Thursday of November, Americans gather together with friends and family for a Thanksgiving feast — a ritual that many psychologists believe actually fosters greater happiness and health.

November 24, 2016 | Source: Mercola | by Dr. Joseph Mercola

Each year on the fourth Thursday of November, Americans gather together with friends and family for a Thanksgiving feast — a ritual that many psychologists believe actually fosters greater happiness and health.

And, while the ritual of giving thanks once a year is beneficial, doing it more often could be life changing. At least that's what science suggests.

The Benefits of Ritual Get-Togethers at Mealtime

As noted by Barbara Fiese, Ph.D., a psychologist and author of "Family Routines and Rituals:"1

"Through direct observation of family mealtimes at home, we've found that how families communicate with one another during meals is related to the children's health.

For example, when families show genuine concern about their child's daily activities … teachers report these children are less likely to show acting-out behaviors in school.

What's more, these interactions make children with chronic health conditions such as asthma feel more secure, and they're more likely to report that they feel better throughout the day."

Bill Doherty, Ph.D., a family therapist and researcher added:

"The classic outcomes of regular rituals for families are coherence (a sense of identity) and connection (a sense of closeness) …

[But] barriers to good interaction — such as cellphone use, people getting up from the table and arguments — were even more strongly related (in a negative direction) to children's psychological well-being and academic performance.

The implication is that we have to pay attention to doing some things well during meals — such as staying at the table and laughing together — but also avoid negative interactions."