Rie's essay

Children Eat in the Isolated Island
- Eating alone makes bad influences on children's health and minds -

The trend of family has been changing over thirty years. It was common
that mothers stay at home, not work outside because the working situations at
companies were unfair for women, so most of women quitted their jobs when
they got married. However, these conditions have been improved in developed
countries, a large number of women having children work these days. Also, the lifestyle of children has been changed. Most of children in cities go to cram school for getting high mark at exams in some Asian countries. Respoundly, the percentage of children who have meal without parents is increasing today. It may cause children some health problems including both physical and mental problems. This essay will mention what happen to them because of eating alone from positive and negative sides, and some solutions to avoid them eating without families.

First of all, children get overweight by taking in too much carbohydrate and oil, not vegetables. It is allowed that children eat snacks as much as they want if they are alone at home. They become full easily by snacks, then it leads to skip meals. And, if children can control the desire to eat snacks or sweets, it is still difficult to take enough nutrition. Some family prepare the meal which is cooked by mothers, but to be honest, cooking supper in the morning can be a burden for working mothers. So, they usually give money to children to buy supper themselves. It means that children can choose foods whatever they like.
Fast food, or already food sold in supermarket are eaten quickly, and not necessary to cook. These foods are helpful for children who don't have cooking skills, that is why the children prefer to buy them. Ironically, they are not "friendly food" for children bodies. Hamburgers, pizzas, and pasta are high in calories, also unbalanced. They contains a huge fats and carbohydrates, but few vitamins and iron. The research carries that obese children more prefer to buy already food because both parents go out to work.(Ohya, 2007)

Secondary, children may get hyperactivity because of artificial colors in foods.
The research by Southampton University shows that taking in artificial food colors may cause children's conducts.　　Children may get good results on hyperactivity or ADHD by cutting the food that contains amount of colors. From Dr.Andrew Wadge's perspective, artificial colors are not only reason causing hyperactivity, but the research can be useful, and people who are afraid of can avoid artificial colors by checking food labels.(Food Standards Agency, 2007) This doesn't seem to connect the problem that children eat meal alone. Hence, as I mentioned before, children have own choices what they have for dinner. Foods with pretty colors attract them because they don't think how bad the artificial colors are. Their favourite snacks usually use a various type of colors. They have no limits to take unhealthy foods, so the risk of having ADHD may increase, and be higher than those who rarely eat snacks and sweets.

Moreover, the opportunity of talking with family is taken by eating alone. The relationship between children and parents becomes worse when they don't talk during eating.(Bennese Corporation, 2009) Having same meal with family or friends is more important than people expect. It is an element to make a close connection with other people.(Lupton,1999)
The lack of communication with family causes not only the bad family relationship, but also children mental problem. The communication with people at the table enriches our minds, and brings the enjoyment of eating. Having a meal with family, especially, makes become calm, be healed, and eased the tension. These effects are necessary for children to build their characters, and communication skills. The feeling of eating with parents enjoyable connects to "basic trust". If children can not get enough basic trust, they begin a new experience by themselves difficultly.(Murota, 1995)
These mental problems are sometimes more serious rather than health problem. It is hard for parents to notice them because they are invisible. And if they notice these problems, illnesses may worsen, so children needs a long treatment.

On the other hand, eating alone doesn't always cause bad effects on children.
Children can be self-sufficient by preparing meal themselves. Young people who have mothers doing only housework don't tend to cook meals themselves. They are in the situation that they don't need to cook. This may continue unless they go out homes. However, children can get a way to live themselves early if their parents work out. At the same time, they have opportunities to think about their healths, and cultivate a sense of the value of money and the knowledge of food thorough going to supermarket to prepare meals.
Furthermore, it is difficult to make a time to eat with family. Companies offer women having children some welfare programs like shortening working time, but it doesn't seem to work efficiently now. Mothers doesn't have enough time to cook supper if they cut their working time. This opinion in not only because of mothers. Children who go to cram school aren't at home at supper time. They have supper which they buy at convenience stores in a break time at cram school.

Even though there are good aspects of eating alone, we have to recognize that it has bad effects on children. Both parents and children should make effort to change their eating habits. One of possible solutions is making a day that all family members have meal together. They can share not only what they eat, but also the time to talk and know the feelings regularly. Also, having a pleasant meal aids absorption of nutrients.(Fujisawa,2002) 　The another solution is that parents or　schools should teach cooking with knowledge of nutrition. For example, Japan has an obligation for all students to take cooking classes at schools. Through the classes, they get more interests in controlling their health by eating behaviour. Then, it can create that children choose and cook balanced meal by themselves.
Our life styles are changing, and it causes that families are separated at home. However, parents should not abandon their children's growth, they need to pay more attention to them. It is important to have balanced meal with family at home for their healths, and making a good relationship.


Bibliography

Bennese Corporation, (1999), 'Homerare keiken, shikarare keiken', Monograph Shogakusei Now, Vol. 18, No. 3, p37, http://www.crn.or.jp/LIBRARY/DATA/M2/183/M2183037.PDF, (22 Nov 2009).
Food Standards Agency, (11 Sep 2007), "Agency revises advice on certain artificial colours", http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/sep/foodcolours, (25 Oct 2009).
Fujisawa, Y.(2002), Kodomo no kokoro wo sodateru shokujigaku, Daiichi shuppan.
Lupton, D. (1999) as quoted in Maeda ,K. (2003), 'Shokuiku Saikoh', p21, http://kyoumusv2.wako.ac.jp/auto/www.wako.ac.jp/hattatsu/closed/soturonclosed2003/00d080maeda.pdf, (2 Dec 2009).
Murota, S. (1995) as quoted in Suzuki,Y. (2006), 'Koshoku kara Kyoshoku eno shokuiku no kokoromi', http://www.kyoikukensyu.metro.tokyo.jp/information/sk_daigaku/pdf/19daigakuin/14-16-suzuki.pdf, (22 Nov 2009).
Ohya, C. (2007), 'Shokushukan, seikatsushukan to jidoh no himan to kankei', pp. 148-149, http://dspace.nara-edu.ac.jp/bitstream/10105/507/1/b2007-R18.pdf, (2 Dec 2009)