Children Obesity Is On The Rise And Many Believe It Is Because Of The Working Moms

Everyone knows that obesity is increasing particularly among children and there are many theories on why this happens. So of course the food they eat is certainly a contributing factor although some believe it is the fate of the working mother who is causing such a significant increase in weight of the child in the U.S. U.S.

Because the number of working mothers has increased from 50% to over 70% in the last 35 years or so, said the rate of obesity in children tripled now nearly 17% during the same period of time and only now researchers are beginning to wonder if there are good reasons for this correlation. And there is reason to believe that these two issues are linked. Studies show that the more a mother works the higher the risk that her children can become overweight or obese. The study was conducted in an elementary school aged children from the journal Child Development.

During a child’s development, for each additional 5 month period that the child’s mother was employed they noted an extra pound of weight gain above and beyond normal growth. In addition, sixth graders of stay at home moms were six times less likely to be obese then those of working mothers.

Essentially it is not the working that is causing these children to gain weight but instead the fact that many working moms have less time to dedicate towards meal planning and therefore these families eat more prepackaged and fast foods which significantly increases the caloric, fat content, and sodium intake of the entire family. This fast paced household environment leaves mothers throwing together meals at the last minute with little consideration as to the nutritional content of such meals.

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.