- Latch-key kids may eat more junk food and less home cooking
- Also exercise and sleep less – leading to the pounds piling on
- Giving working mothers with support – such as childcare – can help
Fiona Macrae, Science Editor For The Daily Mail
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Children of working mothers are more likely to be overweight than other youngsters, research suggests.
Economists say that the increase in childhood obesity in recent decades mirrors the rise in women going out to work.
They say there is strong evidence the two trends are related – and say that providing more support to working mothers could help improve the health of the next generation.
Worldwide, childhood obesity rates have doubled since the 1970s, with some 200million children overweight in 2014.
Danish researchers said that latch-key kids may eat more junk food and less home cooking, exercise less and suffer from a lack of sleep – all of which can lead to the pounds piling on
British children are among the fattest in Europe, with nearly a quarter already overweight by the age of three and more than one in five too heavy by the time they start school.
Danish researchers said that latch-key kids may eat more junk food and less home cooking, exercise less and suffer from a lack of sleep – all of which can lead to the pounds piling on.
However, they stressed the solution isn’t to stop mothers from working but to offer them more support.
Economist Wencke Gwozdz reviewed research on maternal employment and childhood obesity from around the world.
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This showed clear links between the two in many countries, including the US and US.
Long hours, shift work and long commutes appeared to be particularly damaging.
Dr Gwozdz, of the Copenhagen Business School, said women who spend lots of time at work may have less time to spend shopping for food and cooking.
This could lead to them eating poorer quality meals and home, as well as eating more.
The researcher said: ‘Out-of-home meals are generally linked to a higher risk of childhood obesity because they are often high in fat, sugar and salt.’
Women who spend lots of time at work ‘may have less time to spend shopping for food and cooking’
Dr Gwozdz, whose review is published the IZA, a German-based institute for the study of labour, that children whose mothers are absent may choose more sedentary activities.
Sleep may also suffer, with research showing that youngsters whose mothers work shifts get up to one and a half hours less sleep a week than children of stay-at-home mothers.
Finally, the link was strongest between the ages of five and ten – a time when youngsters are becoming more independent.
Dr Gwozdz said: ‘Childhood obesity rates have doubled since the 1970s.
‘This high prevalence is concerning because of obesity’s harmful effects on children’s emotional and physical health and the high likelihood that childhood obesity will transmit into adulthood.
‘Childhood obesity is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and lower life expectancy, even when formerly obese children lose weight in adulthood.
Denmark, where state funding of childcare is particularly high, bucks the trend of a link between working mothers and childhood obesity. Experts said supporting working mothers with childcare can stem obesity
He continued: ‘Healthcare costs are also much higher.
‘Any potential explanation for the childhood obesity epidemic must also involve the parental environment.
‘One noteworthy change over this time that has influenced family life is the increase in female employment.’
Her review found that some countries bucked the trend.
These included Denmark, where state funding of childcare is particularly high.
Dr Gwozdz said: ‘If high-quality childcare means that children have access to nutritious diets and physical activity outside their home and if this childcare is available to all working families, then it should not matter for child development whether mothers work or not.
‘Policy measures such thus aim at providing working parents with greater flexibility to spend time with their children and developing high-quality and affordable childcare.’
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