Press Releases

Family Meals Conference Focuses on Healthy Lifestyles

PHILADELPHIA (April 18, 2006) - Recent studies reveal that when families share at least one meal together a day, it can have a powerfully positive impact on lifelong healthy eating habits, including increased milk consumption among children. In response, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association recently teamed with Nemours Health and Prevention Services in Delaware and the Department of Food Marketing at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia to present “Family Meals: Setting the Table.”

“Studies continue to support the many benefits of eating meals together as a family, from better health and nutrition to better achievement scores and fewer behavioral problems in school,” said Althea Zanecosky, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association. “Yet, fewer than one-third of all children sit down to dinner with both parents on any given night.”

Dairy checkoff used this opportunity to reach out to the community to encourage families to focus on healthy lifestyles and to include milk and dairy products in their diets.

Two conferences, held in early March, targeted families, communities and health professional audiences. The community event gave families practical advice and sensible ideas for fitting a meal together into a busy schedule. The professional conference provided tools for health professionals to promote family meals with their clients and patients. Visit www.familymeals.org for more information.

Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association is the dairy-farmer funded regional promotion organization responsible for increasing milk and dairy product demand throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy promotion organization, to implement dairy promotion, education and research programs locally. For more information, visit www.dairyspot.com.