A study has found that having small children can make it tougher to keep up a healthy diet and exercise habits. More than 1, 500

A study has found that having small children can make it tougher to keep up a healthy diet and exercise habits. More than 1, 500 young US adults were(26)surveyed for the study, which found that parents of children aged 5 or younger generally exercised less often than people without children, while mothers in particular had less healthy eating(27)habits than their childless peers.
    "Although many(28)dietary behaviors were the same between parents and nonparents, mothers reported greater(29)consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, total energy, and percent saturated fat(30)compared to women without children," wrote lead researcher Jerica Berge.
    On average, the parents got less exercise than their childless peers, with mothers(31)reporting fewer than 2.5 hours of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each week compared to an(32)average of just over three hours for women without children. Fathers got less than 5.5 hours each week, versus almost 7 hours among men wim no children.
    Similarly, a lack of time and energy is likely to increase reliance on "quick-fix" meals that tend to be higher in calories and fat, such as cheese or chicken meat. When it came to diet, fathers did not differ from other men. But(34)mothers averaged close to 400 more daily calories than women without children, drank more sugary beverages and consumed slightly more saturated fat.
    Women with children also tended to weigh a little more than those without children. But(35)most of the mothers had given birth within the past year, so some of that extra weight may have been pregnancy-related.
    Ultimately, Berge said, social support —(36)such as neighborhood-level activities—is likely to be important to help young parents maintain a healthy lifestyle.