Parenthood Correlated With Significant Weight Gain

This will come as little surprise to those with kids but being a parent speeds up weight gain over a lifetime, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and other universities. They analyzed data from a national longitudinal survey that tracked changes in BMI levels, a ratio of height to weight, among 3,617 adults over a 15-year period. They found that by age 55, the average parent in their sample reached a BMI of over 30, considered to be obese. By contrast, those without children had lower BMIs between 25 to 29, considered overweight but not obese. Dads gained even more weight than moms. The answer may be working out with your kids. Social Science and Medicine, Oct. 2011