Does your kitchen make you fat?

That was the topic on the Bob Connors morning drive time show today. At first thought, you may say, well, of course, that's where the food is. But that's not what the interview with two young architects was about. An article on the size and design of kitchens appeared in the Washington Post and was picked up by ABC News, so it is getting some attention.

Kitchens have become entertainment rooms with the "great room" concept, troughs for eating (called islands) and lounges with TVs, all with food close at hand. I think the loss of the dining room is another problem. Eating in the kitchen encourages snacking, carry-out/carry-in meals, casual on the fly meals, eating alone, multi-tasking while eating, and poorly planned meals. When I plan a meal that will be served in the dining room, even if it is just for the two of us, I pay much closer attention to how it will look, how nutritious it is, and the timing.

What is in your kitchen and kitchen cabinets that has nothing to do with your eating or food preparation? Here's my list:

small TV (never on during meal time)
radio/cd player
car keys
stash for charge card receipts
basket for mail
cat's food and water bowl
junk drawer for candles, pencils, addresses, stamps, calendar etc.
telephone
notepad
reminders of appointments
artwork
magazines
cleaning supplies
kleenex
flower vases
several games
seasonal decor as needed
medications
flashlight

So think about it. Do you need a smaller kitchen? Do you need to move family and guest activities out of the food prep area? Why does food rather than people become our focus for entertaining?