Discussion
obesity, satiety
OBESITY, COLD
This randomized clinical trial found that children consumed significantly more fruits and vegetables when family meals lasted 10 minutes longer, on average. The 7 additional pieces of fruits and vegetables (on average) corresponded to approximately 1 portion or 100 g (eg, 1 medium apple).Higher intake of fruits and vegetables during longer meals cannot be explained by longer exposure to food alone; otherwise, an increased intake of bread and cold cuts would have occurred. One possible explanation is that the fruits and vegetables were cut into bite-sized pieces, making them convenient to eat. Previous studies found that longer exposure to accessible foods increased the intake of these foods.Additionally, longer family meals were associated with a slower eating rate, increased satiety, and a lower risk of obesity in children