Pregnancy no excuse to eat for two
Pregnant women should say no to donuts.
Put down the doughnuts and walk away from the fries - new medical research is lending weight to findings that pregnant women should not ‘eat for two’.
After studying data for more than 1,300 women in Boston, Dr Alison Stuebe, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of North Carolina, found that those who consumed extra calories, fried foods and dairy products were more likely to gain more than the recommended average of 35lbs (15kg).
Stuebe said eating an extra 500 calories a day increased the odds of gaining too much by 10 percent.
“That’s the number of calories in a muffin or a bagel with cream cheese,” she said.
“It doesn’t take much for the calories to add up.”
Her research also found that vegetarians were half as likely to gain an unhealthy amount of weight, while women who exercised vigorously for 30 minutes a day reduced their risk by 20 percent.
Gaining two much weight during pregnancy has been linked to pre-eclampsia and birth complications. Overweight women are also more likely to give birth to children who struggle with obesity.
Stuebe said women should eat sensibly - avoiding high-calorie snacks and fried foods - and get regular exercise to ensure a healthy pregnancy. In turn, this would make it easier for them to return to their pre-pregnancy size.
“Losing for two is a lot of work,” she said.
