Is There A Link Between Working Moms And Obese Children

Everyone knows that obesity is increasing, particularly among children and there are many different theories on why this is happening. While of course the food they are eating is certainly a contributing factor that some believe is the situation of the working standard that is causing a significant increase in weight of children in the U.S.

As the number of working mothers has increased 50% to 70% over the past 35 years, so that the rate of childhood obesity has tripled now nearly 17% during the same period of time and just now researchers are beginning to wonder if good reason for this correlation. And there are reasons to believe that these two numbers are related. Studies show that the more a mother works the greater the risk that her children may become obese or overweight. The study was conducted in the primary school age children by the Child Development Journal.

During development of the child for each additional period of five months that the child's mother was employed they noticed a pound of weight gain above and beyond normal growth. In addition, sixth graders from at-home mothers were six times less likely to be obese than those of working mothers.

Essentially, it is not the work that is causing these children to gain weight, but rather the fact that many working mothers have less time to devote to meal planning and therefore, these families eat more foods packaged and fast, dramatically increasing the calories, fat and sodium intake for the whole family. This fast-paced environment of households of mothers to compose meals at the last minute with little consideration as to the nutritional content of meals for example.

Busy moms who are worried about this study and on the impact of working on their family's dietary needs can find healthy alternatives to fast food including preparing larger portions on weekends and holidays and then freezing them to reheat during the week when time is limited. A crock pot can also be an excellent tool for cooking in a busy household and when filled with some fresh meat, potatoes, and vegetables can make for a healthy alternative to fast food nights and frozen TV dinners.

There are ways for moms to make sure that their family is getting the proper nutrition while still maintaining employment and by making a conscious effort to improve their family's eating habits can make a significant impact on keeping their children in the right weight range. It is important to make these changes early and to stick to regular healthy meals that will provide the family with the nutrition they need even when they are on the go.