Controversy! New study suggests working moms have heavier kids, especially around 5th and 6th grades.
The authors note:
In the United States, most mothers work: In 2007, the labor force participation rate for mothers with children under 18 was 71% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008)…
Moreover, as is widely documented, rates of obesity more than tripled among American children aged 6–11 years over the past three decades….
For a child of average height, this is equivalent to a gain in weight of nearly 1 lb every 5 months above and beyond what would typically be gained as a child ages. This link between maternal employment (vs. nonemployment) and children’s BMI is consistent with a growing body of evidence on this question…
It is possible that because fifth and sixth graders generally have more independence and less adult supervision over their time use and food choices than third graders, maternal employment precipitates poorer food choices and more sedentary activity. Children’s lesser supervision at older ages may be related to the diminished likelihood of being in an after-school program and a greater likelihood of being in self-care (Johnson, 2005)
