| Thanks to Jamie Oliver our children will soon be getting more nutritious food at school , but it 's time we thought more about what we are feeding them at home and how . Author of parenting bible ' Yes , Please . Thanks ! ' Penny Palmano gives us the low down on family eating . Penny ( centre ) with children Francesca ( 16 ) , Katherine ( 19 ) and Sam ( 17 ) Not only are all our children going to end up obese with diabetes and heart problems but they will have all the social skills of a whelk unless we start to do something about it . And poor nutritional food does not only affect their health but their behaviour as well . We know most children eat far too many fast food products , pre-prepared meals , processed foods , fizzy drinks , snacks , sweets , biscuits , cakes , etc and almost all these products may contain some type of food colouring , preservative , hydrogenated fat , salt and sugar . The additives are a kind of ' food cosmetic make-over ' , disguising poor nutritional food with colour and artificial flavour to make it more attractive to children . But the increased consumption of these foods and the decline in the foods which are good for children , such as fresh vegetables , fruit , fish , meat and cheese , has sadly begun to take its toll . Hyperactivity , moodiness , obesity , long-term health problems and poor intellectual performance can all be connected to a poor diet . Sugar An excess of white sugar can change the normal biochemical ' pathways ' of both , resulting in moody , unmanageable and disruptive children who make everyone 's life a misery including their own . Products made mainly from pure white flour will also convert into pure sugar in the body with the same effect . A can of a popular well-known fizzy drink contains both sugar and caffeine , combining two stimulants . If children drink a can at lunchtime the caffeine will still be in their system by the evening and we know what that means , T-R-O-U-B-L-E . These poor children will not be able to sit still at school or around the dinner table and will find it difficult to fall asleep . Help children to cut down their sugar intake by removing the sugar bowl off the table and administering it yourself ( less and less each time ) and replacing fizzy drinks with water or unsweetened fruit juice . Fats Much has been written about fats in the body . It is now widely recognised and accepted that the body does need fat and that there are good and bad fats . Good fats The brain is composed of 60 % fat and needs an abundance of fatty acids from our diet to function effectively . Essential fatty acids are the good fats . They are found in oily fish such as mackerel , tuna , herring , sardines and salmon and nuts , seeds and cold-pressed oils . These fatty acids are essential for the normal development of the brain , eyes and nervous system . Three very good reasons why parents should not put their children on low-fat or fat-free diets . New research from Oxford university has shown that many children suffering from dyslexia , dyspraxia and ADHD ( attention deficit hyperactive disorder ) which affect children 's ability to listen , think , speak , sit still and write are suffering from a dietary deficiency of fatty acids . We all want what is best for our children so let 's avoid contributing to their future health problems , hyperactivity , moodiness , poor behaviour and under-performing brain by changing their poor diet . Bring back the family meal Processed ' fast'foods are not only responsible for these problems . Because children eat them with their fingers they are partly responsible for the demise of the family meal around a table . Now the odd thing is that ever since evolution we have been educating ourselves away from eating with our fingers and grunting . But since the arrival of fast finger foods combined with TV , video , DVD , computer games , we seem to have come full circle and children are again eating with their fingers and grunting ! Funny old world . The break down of the family meal together around a table has sadly taken its toll in many ways . Firstly , children do not know how to hold conversations with adults , they are having no supervision on how to eat or behave correctly at the table , and finally , it is now reported that the absence of the family meal is causing depression and mental-health problems . All this because we eat pizza in front of the telly ? ? ! ! Sadly , the lack of family meals together has also been connected to rising crime , depression , stress and mental-health problems among adolescents . And I always thought it was the family meal that caused these problems , with the over-powering father , the stressed out mother and the arguing children . Well , it is up to you to create a happy and harmonious atmosphere at the table , so the children and yourselves will actually look forward to this time . With so many parents both working , time with their children has been greatly reduced . So the family meal is the perfect way of combining talking with them and continuing their social education and really bonding ' as a family ' . By enjoying regular family meals together and having the opportunity to talk , the family will become very close . How to achieve the modern day family meal Under no circumstances have the television on ! It is very unlikely that both parents will be around early enough during the week to eat with toddlers or young children as a family , so make the effort at the weekend . Children are far less likely to be fussy eaters if their parents are eating with them . Never let children eat on their own at a table , always sit and talk to them and encourage their table manners . Rather than saying , ' Do n't hold/talk/eat etc. . ' use the term ' Remember '. . ' it 's far less reprimanding and much more cajoling . Table manners are just another learning curve . When it is possible , all eat together in the evenings and re-introduce Sunday lunch . Depending on your children 's ages and homework load , it is very easy to remain at the table after supper and all play cards or a short board game , which keeps the family together and cuts down on TV and computer time . A double whammy ! Always get a child , whatever age , to help lay the table and , if you have more than one child , let them take it in turns . The meal Whoever is cooking should prepare something that does n't take a great deal of last minute attention , so that the majority of time is spent at the table rather than standing at the cooker . But if the thought of having to prepare a meal and cook it sends you rushing for the bottle , prepare something simple like a salad with a ready-roasted chicken and a baked potato . The last thing the family needs is a gin-sodden cook having a nervous breakdown or the children losing their entire set of milk teeth on the first mouthful . Stay calm , have fresh fruit for dessert , followed by cheese and biscuits . Offer children water or unsweetened fruit juice , as high-sugar fizzy drinks will make it harder for them to sit still . Relax The key to a happy time at the table , which is the most beneficial for the children , is for the parents to be relaxed , happy and getting along . So do n't bring up any issues that might spark an argument . If siblings are likely to squabble , do not let them sit next to each other . Tell your children amusing stories and encourage them to do the same . Laughter is great for bonding and relieving stress . Always listen and stay interested in your children 's stories and opinions , after all it 's very demoralising for a child ( or adults ) while recounting a story , to watch their audience rapidly losing the will to live . But do n't worry , just because you have started to eat and talk together as a family does n't mean that you ca n't all enjoy a weekly take-away pizza with your feet up in front of the TV together . Penny Palmano is the author of the parenting bible , ' Yes , Please . Thanks ! ' . Visit the mother@work members Book Club to read a review and take advantage of the member discount . Archives Username : Password : Did you know that if you were a registered user you could add this article to your clipped articles folder ? Editor Denise Tyler tries out the scientific new way to reduce tummy fat - by walking in a vacuum suit . Sounds weird ? It feels a bit weird too , but it does work ! Putting the suit on is harder work than the actual session as it is like a wet suit . You have to strip off and put a thin liner suit on first , then pull on the outer suit which has to fit snugly as the entire thing becomes a vacuum that you then walk on the treadmill in . Tubes are attached to the front of the suit that creat the vacuum and you do get the vague feeling that you now know how cows must feel when they get linked up to a milking machine ! The machine is programmed according to your weight and fitness levels and then you walk opn the treadmill to varying degrees of incline and speed . The idea is to get your heart rate up while the vacuum inside the suit pulls blood into areas it does n't usually get into , i. e . t he tumy and hip areas . Normally when you work out , blood gets diverted into your muscles and that 's why it can be difficult to shift stubborn fat on the stomach and hips . This method , strange though it may seem , actually encourages the blood into those areas , thereby using up the fat . And it does work . I 'm just three quarters of the way though my twelve sessions and I 've already lost just over 4cm off my waist and I feel trimmer . My jeans have gone down a belt hole - clear proof that it works ! You have to be prepared to stick with it as you will book up for twelve sessions , three a week of 40 minutes each . By the time you have changed and showered at the end , expect the whole process to take an hour each time . Contact Lisa at SCUK in Brighton on 01273 688830 for further information or visit www . v acunauttraining . c om to find your nearest centre . If you are a fan of Yoga or are curious to know more about it but have n't the time to attend classes , the this DVD could well be enjoyable and a time saver . Fenella Lindsell and her husband , co-founders of The Art of Health and Yoga Centre South-West London , opened the centre to offer complementary health treatments and related classes to everyone . They had 3 children during the 7 years at the premises and as a result many of the classes and therapies offered were directed at babies , infants and small children . One of the most successful activities was YogaBugs . YogaBugs classes are targeted at children aged 2 ½ to 7 years old . Fenella integrated postures into adventures and creative stories which children love . Since YogaBugs was created at The Art it has developed further to help children from all walks of life and is committed to the on going development of Yoga for Children . I tried the new DVD ( pictured ) with my 3 year old and although I had my doubts she would actually be interested or pay attention long enough , we did in fact manage to follow quite alot of the story telling and integrate some of the moves . The nice thing was , we missed bits because we were laughing so much . She has asked to do it again several times and I enjoy taking part with her . I can see that the benefits would increase with age as children learn to replicate the Yoga positions and understand the breathing techniques . I found it actually quite relaxing to simply spend time doing an activity in my own home with my daughter that did n't involve driving anywhere or needing special kit but that left her happy and me feeling like I had actually stretched out a bit . YogaBugs is now a trade marked company and has taught teachers ' nation-wide as well as Europe , America , Australia and Asia . Classes are also run as after school activities or integrated into the school day . To apply for a discounted copy of the YogaBugs DVD , see our |