The more pregnancy pounds an obese woman gained, the more she retained one year after giving birth, established the study.
The study and its findings
For the purpose of the study, researchers tracked 1,656 obese women who gave birth over five years.
Majority, three-quarters of them, gained more than 15 pounds, the recommended weight gain for obese women, during pregnancy. Moreover, these obese women were unable to shed that extra weight after childbirth.
The study found that women who put on more than 15 to 25 pounds were twice as likely to remain more than 10 pounds overweight vis-à-vis women who gained less than 15 pounds.
These odds increased eight-fold among women who gained over 35 pounds during their pregnancy.
"We found that nearly three quarters of obese women gain too much weight during pregnancy -- and the more weight they gain, the harder it is to lose," lead researcher Dr. Kimberly K. Vesco, of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, said of the findings.
Previous studies have suggested that Obesity poses many health risks under routine life circumstances. The present study underscores the importance of not being obese during the crucial pregnancy period as well.
Words of wisdom for pregnant women
Being overweight during pregnancy increases the possibility of complications during pregnancy, including gestational diabetes and birth injuries. Both the baby and the mother are at risk due to such complications.
"We need to do a better job of helping obese women control weight gain during their pregnancies," advised Dr. Victor Stevens, another Kaiser Permanente researcher who worked on the study. "Once the baby is born, it's much harder to change eating habits and start an exercise program."
The researchers suggested some dos and don’t’s in order to limit excess pregnancy pounds. Chief among these were to eating regular meals and small healthy snacks in between meals.
Eight servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and 5 ounces of protein-rich foods every day has been advised by the researchers.
The experts urged the obese women to refrain from sweets and sugary drinks. Exercising for close to half an hour a day does a world of good to the body, suggest the researchers.
They also advocated that women augment their daily calories by no more than 100 calories over and above their pre-pregnancy ingestion.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy
Believe it or not, it is no longer recommended to gain a certain amount of weight during pregnancy. Several years ago, your provider may have recommended.
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