Working mums spend less time on kids' diet and exercise

Washington, August 28 (ANI): US moms with full-time jobs, spend roughly three-and-half fewer hours per day on chores related to their children's diet and exercise, as compared to stay-at-home and unemployed mothers, a new study has revealed.

A new paper by lead author John Cawley, professor of policy analysis and management and of economics at Cornell University health said that the findings were consistent across socio-economic lines measured by the mothers' education, family income, race and ethnicity.

Although these mothers are significantly more likely to spend time purchasing less nutritious prepared foods than at-home mum to make up for this time deficit, the study doesn't suggest that women need to quit their jobs to take care of dietary needs of their kids

"It's important to remember that we can take steps to enhance childhood nutrition and physical activity without advocating that women exit the workforce," Cawley said.

He insisted that parents should be better educated about the nutritional content of restaurant and pre-packaged foods.

"In order to make more informed decisions, consumers need to have nutrition and calorie information available where they buy their food," he added. (ANI)