Many doctors recommend losing those extra pounds before getting pregnant for the safety of the baby in utero but, according to The L.A. Times, your weight at, or before, pregnancy can put them at risk for being obese themselves.
Almost half of U.S. women today become pregnant already classified as overweight or obese which, according to studies, increases the unborn baby’s likelihood of being born too big or too small, both of which increase their risk of becoming obese in their lifetime.
Compound that with the common misunderstanding that pregnant women are “eating for two,” causing unnecessary, and risky, amounts of weight gain during their pregnancy, and it’s no wonder children as young as 2, 3, and 4 are already becoming morbidly obese.
While a mother’s weight is a risk factor for having an overweight youngster, it isn’t the most common reason children gain unhealthy amounts of weight, and it definitely isn’t the easiest one to tackle (hello, diet and exercise, where did you come from?) Even still, the finding excites many professionals.
“If we can identify a short period of time where an intervention can have a long-lasting effect, that could be very promising,” says Dr. Nicolas Stettler, an associate professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania.
You already plan on feeding your unborn baby a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and will ensure they get plenty of exercise, but what can you do right now to make sure they grow into healthy adults? Take care of yourself.
The odds of a child being overweight at age 7 are 48% higher for children of women who gained more weight than recommended during pregnancy. A woman of a healthy weight should gain about 25-35 pounds over the course of her pregnancy. Women who are overweight should only gain 15-25 pounds. Experts recommend doing this through consuming only 100-300 extra calories per day, from nutrient rich foods. I like the saying, “if you wouldn’t feed it to your child once they are born, don’t feed it to them before.”
Exercise is also an important factor. Click here to read Kidglue’s Guide to Pregnancy Fitness, and make sure you child, and his mother, live long and healthy lives.
