IDEFICS study findings on maternal employment and childhood obesity published

Children with full-time working mothers are at no more risk of becoming obese

Findings from an IDEFICS study conducted in 2007-2008 have recently been published in the Journal of Health Economics. The article, “Maternal employment and childhood obesity – A European perspective”, describes how the benefits of full-time mothers’ expendable income allows them to invest in cars, child-care, and cleaners. These conveniences, in turn, save them time which they can spend with their children, preparing healthy meals, or taking them to activities that prevent them from becoming sedentary. Furthermore, families with working mothers often can better afford healthy food and have better access to nutritional knowledge.