SEATTLE - According to the National Eating Disorder Association, as many as 10-million people in the United States have eating disorders.

The cost to treat these problems is in the billions.

Now researchers say they know one simple way families can help prevent the problem.

The Wachters eat together most nights - no matter how crazy their schedules get.

"We don't get to spend as much time as we'd like to and that's really our time to reconnect," said Kim Wachter.

Another benefit: The time this family spends at the dinner table may also prevent eating disorders in their daughter. That's according to researcher and author Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer.

"We found that girls who ate more family meals were at lower risk for disordered eating behaviors such as unhealthy weight control behaviors and binge eating," she said. "They were at about half the risk for these behaviors."

Researchers found four benefits to eating together: The food is usually healthier. Adults can model good eating habits. It's an opportunity for regular connection with kids and a way to monitor food behavior.

"If a teenager is not eating, is restricting his or her dietary intake or eating too much, you catch it right away if you eat meals together on a regular basis," Neumark-Sztainer said.

If you're too busy for home-cooking, the good news is that it doesn't matter if it's take out meals or not.

"Whether they were eaten in a calm, non-stressful, enjoyable atmosphere or not, that really seemed to protect the girls," Neumark-Sztainer said.

For 12-year-old Marie Wachter, mealtime is a time to relax.

"After a day of doing stuff that causes you to think hard and makes your head hurt you can just sit down and eat and talk," she said.

Mom Kim Wachter agrees.

"It's a happy time for us," she said.

And here's some more good news for busy families who find dinnertime scheduling tough -- sharing breakfast or lunch is just as valuable for preventing eating disorders as dinner.