Parents of Young Children May Not Be Eating Healthy

Becoming a parent is a common life event in early adulthood, but little is known about the connection between parenthood and weight-related health," write Jerica M. Berge, PhD, LMFT, from University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, and colleagues. "Understanding parents' health behaviors is important, because health habits may be perpetuated into adulthood and transmitted to children."
The goal of the study was to compare dietary intake, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) among parents of children 5 years or younger vs these factors in young adults without children. The investigators analyzed data from 838 women and 682 men from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who were included in the second and third waves of Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults). Associations between parental status and dietary intake, hours of physical activity, and BMI were evaluated .
Many dietary behaviors were similar between parents and nonparents. Compared with women without children, however, mothers reported greater intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, total energy, and percent saturated fat, and they had higher mean BMIs. Fathers did not differ from men without children in BMI. Compared with nonparents, both mothers and fathers had lower amounts of physical activity.
"Results of this study shed light on the relationship between parenthood and weight status, dietary intake, and physical activity in both mothers and fathers and indicate that mothers may be at greater risk for overweight and other negative health behaviors than fathers," the study authors write.

Source of the study: here

Posted in: Parents Diets