Obesity has become a rising epidemic for children, but it is impacting parents of young children as well. A new study suggests that having young children may make it tougher to keep up healthy diet and exercise habits, leading to overweight and obesity issues. The results of this study were discussed in a recent article from Reuters Health by Amy Norton.
There were more than 1,500 young adults who participated in the study, and the results found that those with children aged 5 or younger generally exercised less often than non-parents. Among the women involved in the study, young moms tended to eat more calories, sugary drinks and saturated fat; the kind found in meat, butter and milk.
Parents with young children often have trouble maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Jerica M. Berge, of the University of Minnesota Medical School says that it is not shocking that young parents exercise less than their childless peers and is in line with the general idea that parents busy caring for a preschooler do not have a lot of time, or energy, to devote to themselves.
Berge suggests that in order to remedy this, young parents should change their definition of what exercise means. “It doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. You can find a way to fit it into family time. You could, as a family, go for walks together,” she suggests.
Besides the problem of lack of exercise for young parents, their diet may also need to be re-evaluated. Since young parents are often busy and limited on time, they end up preparing “quick-fix” meals, which are more likely to be high in calories and fat.
Berge suggests that parents try to keep healthy snack foods, like fresh vegetables and fruit, on hand for those times when they need a quick bite. Even if parents have to resort to a less-healthy meal, portion control can still be implemented.
Of the men who participated in the survey, fathers’ diets did not differ from other men. However, fathers got an average of less than 5.5 hours each week of exercise, compared to men with no kids who got almost 7 hours. Mothers reported less than 2.5 hours of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each week, while women without children averaged a little more than 3 hours per week.
Although the results of this study aren’t very shocking, it is important that young parents still take their healthy lifestyle into consideration, despite their busy schedules. At Shane Weight Loss Camps & Resorts, we follow the philosophy of healthy diet combined with physical activity to result in weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Even people with limited time should at least try to prepare their meals at home and control the portion size. Regarding exercise, it doesn’t have to be lengthy or fancy; try to make family activities physically active and everyone will benefit!
Are you surprised by the results of this study? Have you experienced the busy life of a young parent and what did you do to continue your healthy lifestyle? Go ahead and share your tips!
