Working Mums
WLR dietitian Juliette Kellow explains how health problems
and obesity are less likely to affect working mums.
Working Mums Stay Slimmer and Healthier
By WLR Dietitian
If balancing a hectic schedule at work with children and
family life often leaves you feeling stressed out, you’ll be
pleased to hear it might actually benefit your waistline and
health.
Scientists from University College London have
discovered that working mums in steady relationships are far
less likely to be obese than those who stay at home.
The
researchers used information from a study that tracks the
long-term health of British adults born in 1946 throughout
their life. They found that by the age of 54, health problems
were less common amongst women who had been employees, parents
and partners than those who had been homemakers, childless and
single parents.
Furthermore, 38 percent of long-term
homemakers were obese, compared to just 23 percent of women
who fulfilled all three roles. The research, which was
published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health,
concludes that adopting several different roles in life is
good for health.
WLR says:
This is an interesting piece of research but it’s hard to
know why women who are mums, partners and employees all enjoy
better health and are less likely to be overweight or obese. Further research should be carried out to help explain these
findings. Nevertheless, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see health
experts recommending employment, marriage or childbirth as
ways to improve our health. After all, these types of
lifestyle may not suit everyone. Furthermore, we know there
are many things that truly can help to prevent illness and
excess weight gain – regardless of whether or not we’re
working, married or mums. These include not smoking, taking
plenty of exercise, eating a healthy, balanced diet, not
drinking too much alcohol, going for regular health check-ups
and seeing our GP when we first notice something that’s not
quite right. And ultimately, for most of us, these are all
much easier to achieve than finding a job, finding a partner
and having a baby! |
