Leftover Calories

British mothers can gain around 20lbs of body weight in a year from pinching their kid’s food.

A survey, commissioned by Weight Loss Resources, shows that mothers finishing off their children’s meals and nicking the odd chip here and there, are unwittingly consuming an additional 1404* calories each week. These calories adding up, mean British mothers can eat a staggering 73,043 calories extra each year.

The poll of 2,500 mothers, undertaken by SWNS**, revealed: -

• Half will cook a whole meal but despite having already eaten, 20% of those will still have their own dinner afterwards.
• 16% cook extra of whatever their children are having just so they can have a bit.
• One in ten admit they can’t help themselves when it is in front of them while 7% say they simply cannot wait until they cook their own dinner.
• One in five mothers claim they finish off their children’s meal because they don’t want to see food go to waste.
• 6% admitted to wanting a crafty chip so much they secretly hope their children will leave some of their dinner so they can finish it off for them.
• More than 27% of mothers also eat some of their kid’s food in an attempt to get them to eat more.
• 42% admitted to cooking healthier foods for their children to reduce the extra calories they are eating.

It might not seem like a lot at a time but pinching the odd mouthful from our children’s plate can soon add up the calorie intake over a period of time.

Calorie Content of Popular Children’s Food

The Survey gives a valuable insight into one of the lifestyle factors, which contribute to weight gain. Being aware of the habit of doing this means mothers can try to find solutions. Identifying the reason for weight gain means you can start to work on strategies to help you lose the weight.

Being aware of the calories you are consuming will help address weight loss problems. Once you’re counting calories accurately, you’ll be able to identify your problem areas and ditch them from the menu once and for all – along with those excess pounds.

Channel 4's Secret Eaters shows the importance of keeping a food diary and highlights the problems of magpie eating.