DETROIT – According to research published on plosone.org, women are heavier now verses 30 years ago for a surprising reason.
Women of today are cooking, cleaning and doing laundry less and watching television more, according to a research article titled "45-Year Trends in Women's Use of Time and Household Management Energy Expenditure."
The study says from 1965 to 2010, women vastly decreased the amount of time devoted to household chores.
Women now spend 25 percent more time on media activities, such as watching TV, or using the computer then engaging in household activities, according to the authors of the study.
They say this re-distribution of time has significant health consequences for the modern day woman.
The results suggest that over the last five decades, a decrease in household chores and an increase in media activity may contribute to obesity in women.
At the same time the study suggest that physical activity once gained from chores has been replaced by jobs outside the home.
The authors says, the average American worker burns 150 fewer calories a day at work, than past decades of workers.
Plosone.org is a peer-reviewed, open-access publication that reports on primary research from scientific disciplines.
To read the entire study click HERE.