Sitting down leisurely with the whole family to eat any of a meal is the thing of the past. With all the members having different priorities, getting all of them together to chat and spend time chewing is considered a task. In fact nowadays dinnertime is considered a solo affair and a race to the finish. Meals are also forced down while reading or talking on the phone. The trend is responsible for fuelling Britain's obesity epidemic, as families substitute home-cooked meals for takeaway meals and unhealthy snacks. The survey by the trade body Great British Chicken found that only one in ten takes more than half an hour over a meal. Seven in ten gallop through in less than 15 minutes. Eight in ten nibble in front of the TV regularly while one in five eat in front of a computer. Lisa Miles, a nutritionist with the British Nutrition Foundation said getting families to eat together was essential to combat obesity as the foods eaten at a family meal offer a full range of nutrients differ from those that are eaten as snack while in front of the TV.

Last week, reports revealed that one in five Britons are clinically obese. Psychologist Dr Pat Spungin said: "We do have busy lives. But parents have to be the ones to make meals a priority."
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