Call it "the latest knock against parenthood": A new study published in the journal Pediatrics says raising children can make you fat. Researchers from the University of Minnesota, in a study of about 1,500 relatively young adults, found that those with kids, particularly the moms, ate more fattening food and exercised less than their childless counterparts. Moms consumed an average of 2,360 calories per day, compared to 1,992 for women without kids, while the mothers only got 4.5 hours of physical activity per week, compared to six hours for the other women. Is having children really hazardous to your health?
Yes. Moms do not have time for the gym: Parenting and weight loss absolutely don't mix, says Theresa Walsh Giarrusso at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Take for example the fact that I haven't been able to go to they gym for a week because my 4-year-old has been sick." And moms have to "eat what is fast, easy and comforting — carbs! Salads are much harder to put together than a sandwich." And I can't be the only one who rewards myself with chocolate after the kids finally go to sleep...
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
