Mommy wars: Whose kids are healthier?
A British study says children of working moms don't eat as well as kids whose mothers stay home.
"Get your boxing gloves out, ladies," said Amy Hatch in Parent Dish. "There's a new salvo being fired in the Mommy Wars—a study out of Britain reveals that kids of working mothers aren't as healthy as children whose moms who stay at home." The research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found that children of working moms ate fewer fruits and vegetables and drank more sugary drinks than kids with stay-at-home moms.
It's so unfair to pit working moms and and stay-at-home moms against each other, said Julie Deardorff in the Chicago Tribune, but that's what "studies that link working moms to obesity—this is not the first"—always do. The question I'm always left with is: "What about the dads, who never seem to be included in these studies? Why are working moms primarily responsible for their children's health?"
The authors of the study said their findings shouldn't be used to discourage women from working, said Rebecca Smith in Britain's Daily Telegraph. "Rather," said research author Catherine Law, "they highlight the need for policies and programs to help support parents to create a healthy environment for their children."
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerous
The Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
By David Faris Published
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulus
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published