Dieting During Pregnancy
Reported October 02, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Surprising findings from a new study reveal women who diet before theyre pregnant will actually gain more weight during pregnancy than those who do not diet.
During pregnancy its important for mothers to gain weight to help nourish their child and help him develop properly. But too much weight gain can have dangerous health effects on children throughout their lives. In this latest study on womens weight gain during pregnancy, it turns out the women who restrain their eating before theyre pregnant are the ones who really indulge during pregnancy, often gaining more weight than is considered healthy for mom and baby.
Researchers followed the pregnancies of 1,200 women. Each patient was surveyed on her eating habits before pregnancy and her weight was observed over the course of the pregnancy.
The National Institute of Medicine recommends women gain 28 to 40 pounds, 25 to 35 pounds, 15 to 25 pounds and at least 15 pounds for underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese women, respectively. Normal, overweight and obese women classified as restrained eaters or dieters pre-pregnancy were most likely to gain more than the recommended weight while pregnant, whereas underweight women were most likely to gain insufficient weight during pregnancy.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2008;108