Working mothers 'have fatter children'

Working mothers are putting their children at a greater risk of obesity, a new study has found.

Children from the highest-earning homes, where the combined annual income is £33,000 or more, are at the greatest risk of obesity, according to the study.

Researchers found a direct correlation between working mothers and obese children.

The offspring of mothers who work long hours have less access to healthy foods and physical activity and are more likely to be found in front of the television set, the study suggests.

The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, revealed that lack of time, and not lack of money, is the most significant factor in childhood obesity.

Children are more likely to be overweight for every 10 hours a mother worked. This risk increases in the highest-earning families.

The study was carried out by the UCL Institute of Child Health.

It looked at 13,113 three-year-olds and interviewed their parents when they were aged nine months and three.

Researchers found that 24% of the children of the 7,629 mothers who worked were overweight. These mothers worked an average of 22 hours a week and had worked on average for 27 months after their child's birth.

Of these, 28% admitted they did not spend enough time with their child because of work.

More than two-thirds of the mothers were white, with 40% in managerial roles.

The researchers stated: "Intensity of a mother's employment was a risk factor... specifically among children from families in the highest income group.

"We found that children were more likely to be overweight if the mother reported that 'she did not spend enough time with her child because of work'."

The working patterns of fathers were not considered to have a significant effect on childhood obesity.

Luckily my Mom doesn't work. =D

So does that mean she cooks you nice healthy meals all day then? lol!

Well not vegetables cuz i dont eat em but she cooks meat very well and always gets the best quality food for us.

Sounds like you have a very nice mum then

She is.
She can't work because she has an on and off illness which means she gets headaches all the time so she gets paid by the goverment.
Shes not that ill but its just that she wouldn't be working that often because she have so many absences.
Dad is nice too.
My parents always seem to be asking me questions about the computer.
Dad is ok with the computer, its mainly powerpoint presentations he asks me about.
But Mom only goes on the re to play games, so I have to help them.
Dad's a little overprotective because he doesn't let me go further than the end of the road, but I don't mind.
I've learnt to be happy about it.
Safe in my wonderful home with great parents.
Im an only child aswell.
Mom could only have me if she was stuck with this illness so yeah, she had me instead.
Makes me happy that she cares so much.

Thats a very nice story and you should be very proud to have such good parents. Im sure your dad only means the best when he is overprotective, he just thinks so much of you.

Its good you take time out to help them with the pc. Im now in Moscow living and I wish my parents would get a computer so we could keep in touch more but they dont know enough about them.

Quote:Makes me happy that she cares so much.

That's the most wonderful thing I've read in ages. You're very lucky.