Is Mom's Work Schedule Making Kids Fat?

A recent study has linked children's weight to the amount of time their mothers were away at work growing up.

The researchers found that the total number of years mothers were employed had a small but growing influence on their children's BMI.

The research team studied body mass index (BMI) data from 990 children in grades 3, 5 and 6 who lived in cities across the country.The total number of years mothers were employed away from home had a cumulative influence on their children's rising BMI.The findings were strongest among children in 5th and 6th grades.Surprisingly, changes in children's physical activity, time spent unsupervised, and time spent watching TV didn't explain the link between maternal employment and children's BMI.The time of day moms worked wasn't significantly associated with children's BMI.Although the reasons for the findings are not crystal clear, the authors suggest that one possibility is the limited time for grocery shopping and food preparation - opening the door for higher consumption of pre-packaged and fast foods.

Makes sense to me. The cultural shift of family dynamics has no doubt had an impact on how children are raised. With over 70% of American women with young children in the workforce, it's easy to see the potential impact of this trend.

It's a struggle to try and make it all work for double income parents and single parents alike. That said, it has to take priority, and families need to find ways to provide nutritious meals for their children.

I think it starts with taking advantage of the time you have with your children. This may be first thing in the morning, where you can perhaps eat a healthy breakfast together. Making sure you pack a healthy lunch, and have healthy snacks on hand for when the children get home, takes care of most eating occasions.

Dinners can be tricky - long workdays can render one exhausted and not feeling much like cooking. This is where some planning is crucial, having things defrosted, making enough for leftovers, and an inventory of quick and healthy meal ideas.

Do you think working mothers have a small, large or non-existent impact on childhood obesity?

Image Credit: miriampastor

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