It’s often thought that starting a family will help new parents begin healthier eating habits, but research from the University of Iowa shows that’s not necessarily the case. In one of the first longitudinal studies to examine the effect of having children on parents’ eating habits, researchers led by Helena Laroche, M.D., of UI Health Care and the Iowa City VA Medical Center have found that parenthood does not lead to healthier diets.

“We found that parenthood does not have unfavorable effects on parents’ diets but neither does it lead to significant improvements compared to non-parents, as health practitioners would hope,” Laroche says. “In fact, parents lag behind their childless counterparts in decreasing their intake of saturated fat, and their overall diet remains poor.”

Interested in learning more? Laroche’s study will be printed in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics today (Monday, April 30). Laroche is also available for interviews Tuesday afternoon.

Media who would like a copy of the article or would like to arrange an interview with Laroche should contact Molly Rossiter, with UI Health Care Marketing and Communications, at 319-356-7127 or molly-rossiter@uiowa.edu.