Families who serve dinner AT the table have slimmer children - because they learn when they are full

• Children also eat less if they are allowed to serve themselves at meals
• They should not be encouraged to finish food they don't want, as this teaches them to ignore their body's 'full up' signals 

Children who are served dinner at the dining table are less likely to be overweight, according to new research.

Experts said children who serve themselves also eat less than those who are given pre-plated food.

Children learn to recognise when they are full quicker when sitting around a table and serving themselves than if given a plateful of food in front of the television.

Children who eat at the table and who are allowed to serve themselves, rather than being given pre-plated food, are less likely to be overweight - because they learn to only eat until they are full

The results emerged from a study of children aged between two and five in more than 100 child care centres in the U.S.

Lead author Dr Brent McBride, director of the child development laboratory at the University of Illinois, said: ‘Family-style meals give kids a chance to learn about things like portion size and food preferences. Read more:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2539218/Families-serve-dinner-AT-table-slimmer-children-learn-full.html