Fat kids? Mums - it's all your fault!

Caporegime
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Can't see a thread on this but I've found the fallout from this latest bit of research to be entertaining!

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/childhood-obesity-working-mothers-study-a8817166.html

For a tl:dr essentially any time a mother spends working results in kids that are 6 times more likely to be porkers. It doesn't seem to matter how long they work, just that they work.
The same research has indicated that a fathers working status doesn't have any impact.

Feminist groups are up in arms, women everywhere are complaining and yet crucially I can't see anyone who's actually taking the results on board and thinking about it.

We all know that obesity, particularly in children, has far reaching health consequences. Surely since these kids are the things that they claim to care the most about in the world they'd want to do everything they could to ensure they live healthy lives?

The majority of couples I know could easily live off just one persons income however not without obvious lifestyle sacrifices - bye bye holidays, bye bye new cars, bye bye expensive clothes etc. Yet they just don't seem to be willing to make these sacrifices for their kids. Does this mean that actually, their kids aren't the most important things in their lives? That instead their new TV is the priority, their new BMW, their trip to Vegas?

I was raised initially by my mum after my dad left, then my step-father came along later but my mum still stayed off work. He had an average job (police officer) and so we weren't rolling in cash - certainly sacrifices had to be made but having my mum there for me and my sister was amazing. We really were the most important thing in her life and I can't thank my parents enough for that focus that they put on us. I also happened to be like a stick as a child!
 
Caporegime
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I'm surprised you're going for the binary outcome.

We both work and have a pretty comfortable lifestyle, yet both our kids, 5 and 10, are in rude health, are happy, generous and loving people, are outrageously good at sports (particularly the older one) and are in advanced classes for several of their subjects.

So ... anecdotal evidence says no? (if we're playing the binary game)
 

alx

alx

Soldato
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I think the key point here from the article is: “We find that children whose mothers work are more likely to have increased sedentary behaviour and poorer dietary habits.”

It's not really that mother's work, it's that if you kid has a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet it's going to get fat. Even if both parents work there's nothing to stop you're kid being active and eating well, just have to be more proactive about it.

But who am I kidding, always easier to put the boot in off a newspaper headline. Binary indeed.
 
Caporegime
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I think the key point here from the article is: “We find that children whose mothers work are more likely to have increased sedentary behaviour and poorer dietary habits.”

It's not really that mother's work, it's that if you kid has a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet it's going to get fat.

Well yes...that's what causes obesity. You're doing precisely what the whining feminists are though and ignoring the point that the kid is more likely to be that way if the mother works. Sooo the root cause is the mother working. Which is precisely the headline.
 
Soldato
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I'd be interested to see, without having read the research, whether single parent families are similarly affected. Eg is a full time parent the best way to ensure the health of the child by sparing the parent the double commitment of work and parenthood?
 
Soldato
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My wife works and my kids are skinny.

Conversely there's a chub-a-lub that lives a few doors away, sponges as much from the benefit system as possible and sends her kids round to the chip shop at half ten at night for their supper.

They're not so skinny.
 
Caporegime
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I'd be interested to see, without having read the research, whether single parent families are similarly affected. Eg is a full time parent the best way to ensure the health of the child by sparing the parent the double commitment of work and parenthood?

Single parent families are included and interestingly single working mums have children that are the most at risk.
 
Soldato
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Sooo the root cause is the mother working. Which is precisely the headline.

The root cause is that men are lazy.
I'm guessing that if the mother stays at home, she cooks proper food and if she works the kids get microwaveable meals. The fact that it makes no difference if the father works or not shows that he never bothers to cook proper meals.
 
Soldato
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Single parent families are included and interestingly single working mums have children that are the most at risk.

Strange. I have to say I don't think there are any overweight children in my Sons class and I know at Sports days there is probably about 3-4 kids who are "porkers". Edit: In the school 3-4

Keeping them active helps. My little lad comes hunting with me. Does exercise when he sees me doing my weights. Swimming once a week. "Fights"/"battles" a few times a week.

Some couples shove crisps at their kids rather than a healthy meal. The worst bugbear for me is the McDonalds babies... Those kids have little to no chance sadly. Those ones do tend to be the young single mums who barely know how look after themselves beyond slapping on make-up
 
Caporegime
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The root cause is that men are lazy.
I'm guessing that if the mother stays at home, she cooks proper food and if she works the kids get microwaveable meals. The fact that it makes no difference if the father works or not shows that he never bothers to cook proper meals.

Then why are the children of single mothers the most at-risk group?
 

alx

alx

Soldato
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Well yes...that's what causes obesity. You're doing precisely what the whining feminists are though and ignoring the point that the kid is more likely to be that way if the mother works. Sooo the root cause is the mother working. Which is precisely the headline.

I don't agree with it being the true root cause, but agree about sacrifices. There's nothing to stop two working parents from having heathly active kids, but that obviously requires effort with regard to cooking/diet, activities/sports etc.
 
Caporegime
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I don't agree with it being the true root cause, but agree about sacrifices. There's nothing to stop two working parents from having heathly active kids, but that obviously requires effort with regard to cooking/diet, activities/sports etc.

And that I agree with entirely. Keep in mind this is all about probability so yeah, nothing to stop anyone having healthy active kids. It's all about that effort.
 
Soldato
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Both of my parents worked and i was skinny as a rake until i was old enough to drink and eat take away for every meal so I think it's all ********.

Lazy parents are the problem, not working parents.

Also saying that both parents working means that their kids aren't the most important thing is a bit of a weird one but anyway.
 
Soldato
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Single parent families are included and interestingly single working mums have children that are the most at risk.
So shocker as it turns out that we can only do so much and our ability to raise healthy children suffers when we are pushed past our limits
 
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