Work is good for your health?
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| Mon, 05-15-2006 - 5:25am |
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=43421
Working Mothers Healthier Than Full-time Housewives
Main Category: Women's Health / OBGYN News
Article Date: 15 May 2006 - 1:00am (PDT)
According to new research carried out in Britain, working mothers enjoy better health than full-time housewives. Despite the stress working mothers face by holding down a job, dealing with childcare, housework and striving to keep the family happy.
It appears that working mothers, when compared to full-time housewives, are less likely to become overweight, have a better level of health and a healthier relationship. The study also found that single mothers experience worse health than working mothers who have a partner and children.
You can read about this study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Team leader, Dr. Anne McMunn, University College London, said that women who combine work with children and marriage do seem to have better health than full-time housewives. Even though they may experience high levels of stress sometimes.
It is not a question of chicken-and-egg either. Dr. McMunn said it is the experience of work plus having a family that brings on the better health, not the fact that only healthier mothers decide to carry on working.
The researchers examined data on women born in 1946 from the Medical Research Council's National Study of Health and Development. The data registers their health from 1946 until they are 54. Women's health was examined, with the help of a questionnaire at the ages of 26 through to 54. Every decade, the questionnaire collects data on each woman's work history, whether she is/was married, has children, her height and weight.
The healthiest women were the ones who had all three of the following:
-- A Partner
-- Children
-- A job
Those reporting the worst health were stay-at-home mothers, followed by childless women and single mothers.
38% of stay-at-home mothers were obese when they reached their 50s, for working mothers the percentage was 23%.
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today

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I'm pretty sure that a lot of people on this board haven't been to cuba, since last time I checked americans weren't allowed to travel there. (now, I apologize if i'm wrong, but that's my personal experience)
My friend and her sister wanted to go there in may this year, but their mom couldn't go with them because she still has her american citizenship.
sorry if that's not the case.
Who said they needed to be an expert?
PumpkinAngel
Go right ahead, but AGAIN I didn't state any such thing about you.
PumpkinAngel
"As I wrote, that's JMHO.
You can say Canada the's greatest, Fidel can say Cuba's the greatest, Saddam can say Iraq is the greatest.
It's in the eye of the beholder."
I agree to each his own; but i'm just wondering why so many americans have it. I know many Canadian's who wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world for many reasons - but I'm not sure about too many who would consider it the best country in the world, since how can anyone say any country is the best in the world, since last time I checked there isn't an Utopian society anywhere.
All I was wondering was why you (and a lot of others) believe it to be the best in the world? Specifically I'm wondering why you think it's a better country then Canada?
Yep, but I bet any of those others would actually provide support and backup for why they think so other than just my opinion.
PumpkinAngel
Why do you think that?
PumpkinAngel
"Dictators threaten democracy and our way of life."
How so exactly? The US has put in place and colloaborated with many dictators and continues to do so, with no apparent ill effects, to the US anyway.
I am sensing helmet time around the corner.
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