Are you currently uhm-ing and ah-ing over whether or not you should be adding another baby to your little brood?
Well, not to put any pressure on you, parents, but according to a recent study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, children who are blessed with a younger brother or sister by the time they start school are much more likely to have a smaller waistline and lower BMI.
What the study showed, was that children who did not experience the birth of a sibling by the time they were ready for big school were a whopping three times more likely to be overweight.
Meaning, having siblings is good for your child’s health, actually.
Researchers explain that this is because parents tend to make lifestyle changes that impact the way they feed their kids the minute a new baby is added to the mix. The main one? The addition of a sibling actually eases their pre-occupation with the eating habits of older children–aka negative attention that can cause kids to gain weight. (As in; who has the time, or inclination for that matter, to nag at one child when you also have another one to worry about…)
Another important factor: Your kids get more exercise with a brother or sister. With a built-in playmate, siblings are more active together.
Well, if that wasn’t good enough reason to get cracking on baby #2, I don’t know what is…
