Working Moms Healthier, Thinner Than Stay at Homes

This according to a study conducted by researches with the test group being British mothers.

Researchers tracked the health of a group of
British women from their mid-20s to their mid-50s and found that full-time
homemakers were the most likely to be obese in their sixth decade.
Women in
long-term relationships who had raised kids while they held jobs outside the
home were least likely to be overweight, and they also reported being in better
overall health.

Women who had been homemakers for all or
most of their lives and who had not held outside jobs were most likely to report
that they were in poor health, followed by mothers without partners, and
childless women.
Women who had worked during several periods of their lives
were less likely to be obese than women who had rarely worked.

At first I took this article as a hard slap in the face. It seems that the media (and much of society) is always try to make stay-at-home moms seem downplayed, negative, and a waste. Somehow women who choose to actaully stay home and take care of their family, and raise their own children, get criticzed and ridiculed.

Iam still upset that the article didn't mention much about the happiness and psychological health of these women. After all, both of those have a tremendous effect on our physical health. The was the only thing mentioned in the article,

But the findings also suggested that the stresses associated
with holding down a job while raising small children take their toll on women’s
health.

Does not the stress of actually taking care of your own children, 24 hours a day, cause stress? does that not affect one's health? I know it bothers me because once again, SAHMs are not seen as working moms. Listen up people! WE WORK! WE WORK HARDER THAN MOST!! What other job are you on duty with NO days off, truly around the clock? No other job. And equally, no other job means as much and rewards accordingly.

After thinking about it a little more, I don't take it as the hard slap I first did. There was evidence here that certain women were not as healthy PHYSICALLY as others. I almost find it embarassing and shameful. WHY are those other working moms in better health?
It's a conviciton. I feel it can be a wake-up call. ALL women should strive to be in their best health, both physucally and mentally. It is unfortunate that SAHMs have a bad rep for "letting themselves go". Staying home does not give us a ticket to forget our appearance and bodies. After all, keeping ourselves healthy is the best way to keep our families healthy.

So I am half & half happy/angry about this article. I wish our role as SAHMs could be shown as more important like it IS, and not as a job where women stay home and waste their time and bodies away. It is SUCH and important job. At the same time, I appreciate the truth that may be out there, even if it IS portrayed in a slanted manner.