The growing number of full-time working mothers in the past few decades could be one of the factors contributing to the concurrent rise in childhood obesity.
The growing number of full-time working mothers in the past few decades could be one of the factors contributing to the concurrent rise in childhood obesity.
To study the link between mother's employment and obesity in children, researchers analysed data from a project that has followed a large group of Britons since their birth in 1958. The researchers focused on 8,552 participants who, in 1991, had a total of 1,889 children aged 4 to 9 years.
Rates of both parental obesity and full-time work among mothers increased between the two generations. In 1991, 60 percent of mothers worked, including 15 percent who worked full-time; as compared with 45 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in 1965. Similarly, about 12 percent of parents were obese in 1991, versus 5 to 7 percent of the first generation's parents in 1965.
Overall, the children were more likely to be overweight or obese as compared to their parents back in 1965. Twelve percent of boys were overweight or obese, versus 8 percent of their fathers in childhood; and 18 percent of girls were heavy, versus of 11 percent in their mothers' generation. Both parents' current weight and mothers' employment status were associated with the risk of their children being overweight.
Children of mothers who worked full-time were 48 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than children of non-working mothers, with contributory factors, such as parents' weight and breastfeeding (which some studies have linked to a lower risk of childhood obesity) taken into account. When parents were obese, the chances of the child being overweight were three to six times greater than when parents were normal-weight.
The findings do not prove that mothers' full-time work, per se, contributes to the risk of childhood obesity. One possibility is that children of full-time working mothers have fewer family meals and / or less-healthy diets in general. So the trend in mothers' employment over the past few decades may be one of the variables contributing to a general erosion in children's diets; coupled with the explosion in sugary junk food, food advertising aimed at children, and the increasing availability of high- fat, high-sugar fare in schools, are among the other factors that have been blamed.
To study the link between mother's employment and obesity in children, researchers analysed data from a project that has followed a large group of Britons since their birth in 1958. The researchers focused on 8,552 participants who, in 1991, had a total of 1,889 children aged 4 to 9 years.
Rates of both parental obesity and full-time work among mothers increased between the two generations. In 1991, 60 percent of mothers worked, including 15 percent who worked full-time; as compared with 45 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in 1965. Similarly, about 12 percent of parents were obese in 1991, versus 5 to 7 percent of the first generation's parents in 1965.
Overall, the children were more likely to be overweight or obese as compared to their parents back in 1965. Twelve percent of boys were overweight or obese, versus 8 percent of their fathers in childhood; and 18 percent of girls were heavy, versus of 11 percent in their mothers' generation. Both parents' current weight and mothers' employment status were associated with the risk of their children being overweight.
Children of mothers who worked full-time were 48 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than children of non-working mothers, with contributory factors, such as parents' weight and breastfeeding (which some studies have linked to a lower risk of childhood obesity) taken into account. When parents were obese, the chances of the child being overweight were three to six times greater than when parents were normal-weight.
The findings do not prove that mothers' full-time work, per se, contributes to the risk of childhood obesity. One possibility is that children of full-time working mothers have fewer family meals and / or less-healthy diets in general. So the trend in mothers' employment over the past few decades may be one of the variables contributing to a general erosion in children's diets; coupled with the explosion in sugary junk food, food advertising aimed at children, and the increasing availability of high- fat, high-sugar fare in schools, are among the other factors that have been blamed.
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