New Parents Eat More, Exercise Less Than Their Childless Peers

by Lesley Kennedy (Subscribe to Lesley Kennedy's posts)
Apr 11th 2011 11:15AM

Filed under: In The News, Diet & Fitness, Health

Diet habits are worse among new parents. Credit: Getty Images

Babies add so much to their parents' lives -- love, compassion and, oh, yeah, extra pounds.

A new study out of the University of Minnesota finds exercise and diet habits are worse among new parents than young adults who don't have kids, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

"We need to find ways ... to support parents during this high-risk time," Jerica Berge, a lead author of the study, tells the newspaper, "so they can focus on their health as well as all of the demands of parenting."

Published today in the journal Pediatrics, the study finds new moms eat their veggies as often as their childless peers, but they take in more total calories, high-sugar drinks and saturated fats, according to the Star-Tribune.

"They were no different than non-moms on fruits and vegetable and whole grains," Berge tells the newspaper. "So my line of thought is they are trying to eat the right foods and trying to set the good example, but at the same time they are eating more of these fast foods like chicken nuggets because they take less time to cook."

As for logging gym time, young moms and dads spent nearly an hour less each week participating in vigorous exercise than other folks their age, the newspaper reports.

The extra calories and less frequent exercise added up to moms with higher average body mass indexes than other young women, according the Star-Tribune.

However, Berge tells the newspaper, the higher BMI could be a result of pregnancy weight gain.

The study compared answers from a survey involving 149 parents and 1,371 non-parents, the Star-Tribune reports, focusing on folks in their mid-20s with kids younger than 5.

Berge tells the newspaper if young, first-time parents can control their health during these early parenting years, it will help them and their children later in life.

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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)

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4-11-2011 @ 2:20PM

Lindsey said...

Well, that’s from the book of DUH!! You mean someone like me, not married, no children, actually has more TIME to wake up every day, carefully plan my menu, and decide when I’d like to go to the gym (before or after work) versus someone who has to wake up to get the kids ready, make sure they’re taken care of and at school on time. Then make sure dinner is made, the homework is finished, baths are taken…and everything else in between. Who knew taking care of more people than just yourself would take up so much time. It’s a lot easier to eat healthy and exercise when the only one you’re looking out for is yourself.

4-11-2011 @ 11:47PM

Wade said...

Thank you Lindsey for bringing the common sense. It's quite refreshing to read.

4-11-2011 @ 4:46PM

LOLOL said...

Less excersize? More weight gain for new Mothers. That should be for moms of any age kid. Kids do not let you do anything....period. No kid of any age will let you eat much less excersize. Face it....you have no life at all because of a kid. Don't like the comment? too bad. You know this is the truth but are too afraid to say anything.

4-11-2011 @ 2:25PM

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4-11-2011 @ 2:53PM

MAlleNrOhSLVR said...

wow we really needed a study to tell us that? I 2nd Lindsey's big fat DUH!!!!

4-11-2011 @ 8:09PM

Esteban said...

Liz...you're still fat and undesirable...trust me.

4-11-2011 @ 3:04PM

sunny said...

Where do these ridiculus "studies" come from and why do we need them when what they are telling us is simple common sense.
Jeeeeeeeeezzzzzz.
I am going to go back to school. get my PhD and apply for a $100,000 grant to study how long my toenails grow in a month and how often I need to trim them.
Gimme a break, please.

4-11-2011 @ 3:59PM

bls37 said...

Lets get the true facts straight here. Prior to motherhood I didn't necessarily take care of myself (healthy eating), but I worked hard (up to 75 hours a week) and played just as hard. Motherhood. Your appetite increases for obvious reasons and unless you have the strength and discipline to return to your old eating habits you remain fat. That's the problem with most of these women. They keep eating as if it were for two or three. As a mother, especially the first two years who the heck can find the time or strength to eat. The only thing I agree with it is more difficult to find the time to truly exercise (something pre-motherhood I did religiously), but the key is KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED and no matter how much you want that extra slice of pizza forget it. You are no longer pregnant. Remember that.

4-11-2011 @ 4:32PM

Angela said...

bls37 I agree completely. I heard this story on my local radio stations newsbreak this morning and just shook my head in disbelief. All this story is doing is attempting to excuse people who are simply too lazy to do anything else. And before the boo birds come out I have two children, a husband and a house that we both take care of AND work out/ teach 3 to 4 days a week. So I can legitimateIy speak to this story. I feel I'm setting a great example to my children of trying to live a healthy life and no I'm not a beanpole by any means. I still have a lot of work to do but the point is I'm doing the work. I just find this whole story sad and disturbing that researchers are in a sense telling people it's OK to use their children as an excuse not to do better for themselves. Instead they should use them as their motivation to do better.

4-11-2011 @ 3:44PM

Larry said...

Stop having children. Octomom had enough for all of us.

4-11-2011 @ 3:56PM

JT said...

Another dumb study! What is the purpose? To give people more excuses for bad habits? I often wonder how my mother, now 82, raised five of us (cloth diapers and all), kept the house spotless, clothing cleaned and mended, meals planned, while working part-time. Of course, today's conveniences are designed to make us move less, and we all know prepared foods typically have higher salt and fat content than home-made. I also realize a lot of parent both have to work. But I think a lot of time management skills have been lost somewhere along the line.

4-11-2011 @ 5:42PM

Lucy said...

JT, your mom was one organized and incredible woman! I too, did the cloth diapers, but I only had 2 children, worked part time too, cooked healthy meals most of the time (we had a healthy restaurant that I could call for take out on my way home from work if I was just too worn out), and kept the house reasonably clean, considering that I own a local maid service and that's what I do all day long. Now I am raising my granddaughter and still running my company, doing all the mommy things I always did. It can be done, you just need to stay organized and have back up plans A, B, and C. You can be proud to be raised by such an amazing mom.

Forgot to say, additionally, I'm NOT fat! Can't get fat when you're on the move all the time. And we eat better than we've ever eaten...I've had 59 years to study nutrition and to experiment. I like to eat fresh yummy food.

phoenix said...

gen xers and their offspring are stone cold heathen, they shun God s word.

4-11-2011 @ 4:10PM

bloodsacrifice37 said...

Excuse you????? I'm a gen'xer... What the HELL does God have to do with this article?? You appear to be the only heathen! Many of us believe in God and go to Church. We just don't walk around with a bible and sleep with one like the rest of you hypocrites.

4-11-2011 @ 6:13PM

Amanda said...

bloodsacrifice37, and not all of us who are religious are Christian! There are many other religions in this country, not just one. I'm a Gen Xer too, and I'm as devout as they get. I'm just Wiccan, that's all.

Not to mention which religion you are, if any, has no relevance on this article. And I can see why some new parents eat more and exercise less-it's a result of the sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn! At that stage of the game, many new parents aren't obsessed with staying fit-they're just trying to stay AWAKE!

4-11-2011 @ 5:43PM

Gina said...

Can someone please pay me 10 million to study the fact that childless couples get more sleep than couples with children! lol What a waste of money! These people that issue funds for STUPID studies should have their heads examined.

4-12-2011 @ 4:47AM

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