Stay slim by not eating in front of TV.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Adults who do not flip on the television set during dinner and those who eat home-cooked meals are less likely to be obese, according to a study at the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, Rootstown. The researchers found that adults who reported never watching TV or videos during family meals had significantly lower odds of obesity compared with peers who always watched something during mealtimes. Those whose family meals all were home-cooked also had lower odds of obesity than other adults who ate some or no home-cooked meals.

"How often you are eating family meals may not be the most important thing. It could be that what you are doing during these meals matters more," says lead author Rachel Tumin, survey and population health analyst manager. "This highlights the importance of thinking critically about what is going on during those meals, and whether there might be opportunities to turn off the TV or do more of your own food preparation."

"Obesity was as...