A child imitating his or her parent may be the sincerest form of flattery, except when children are influenced by parents’ poor dietary intake and physical activity patterns.
In the study, “Are Parents of Young Children Practicing Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Behaviors?” in the May issue of Pediatrics (published online April 11), data was analyzed from Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults) which studied 838 women and 682 men from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Researchers found that parenthood was associated with a number of negative outcomes, especially for mothers. Young adult mothers had higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and poor dietary intake compared to young adult women without children. Young mothers also reported having higher daily intake of sugar-sweetened drinks, total calories and saturated fats, compared to young women without children. Both mothers and fathers participated in less physical activities than nonparents, but no difference was found in BMIs between fathers and men without children.
Study authors found that young parents are at increased risk for poorer health behaviors, thus it is important to help parents remain healthy when balancing parenting demands with other life stressors.
