WHEN STRESSED, PARENTS FEED KIDS JUNK FOOD.

On days when parents feel stressed or depressed, kids are less likely to get homemade food for dinner, a US study suggests. Beyond just serving up more fast food and frozen dinners, parents are also more likely to pressure kids to clean their plates on days when they are not in a great mood. "One potential explanation for these findings is that parents who have a stressful day at work, school or home or who feel depressed throughout the day may be overwhelmed and not feel like making a family meal, and so they opt for pre-prepared foods and make less homemade foods", said lead study author Jerica Berge of the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.
"In addition, if parents feel stressed or depressed, they may also pressure their children to eat more at the meal because they don't want them to waste food, or because they are worried their child is not getting enough food to eat", Berge said.
For the study researchers observed 150 children aged 5 to 7 years at home with their families and used several methods to assess how parents' moods influenced what foods went on the table.
Among other things, researchers did home visits to observe meal planning and preparation and examined data from food diaries, surveys and interviews.
-Challapalli Srinivas Chakravarthy- 
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