'Eating For Two' Mentality Linked to Excessive Pregnancy Weight Gain

Pregnant women who think that they're "eating for two" are more likely to experience excessive weight gain, according to a new study.

Lead researcher Cynthia Chuang, associate professor of medicine and public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, studied the attitudes and habits of women who gained weight during pregnancy.  Participants were divided into two groups. One group gained appropriate weight and the other exceeded guidelines.

Experts at the Institute of Medicine recommend that women of normal weight gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy; overweight women should gain 15 to 25 pounds, and obese women, 11 to 20 pounds.

The study involved interviews with 29 postpartum women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy. Researchers said that 11 of these women met the appropriate guidelines and 18 exceeded the recommended weight gain.

The findings revealed that women who gained the appropriate amount of weight stuck to a meal plan and chose foods carefully. They also had little or no increase in the amount of calories they consumed during pregnancy and exercised as much or more than they had before becoming pregnant.

"Overall, the women were more goal oriented in terms of regulating weight during pregnancy," Chuang said in a news release.

Researchers said that women who gained too much weight described their pregnancy as "eating for two". These women also had fewer goals, exercised less than usual, made less healthy food choices and ate more because of cravings.

Researchers said that none of the participants who exceeded the weight gain guidelines met the 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

Researchers said the findings are important because excessive weight gain during pregnancy can lead to postpartum and long-term weight gain, obesity, premature birth and other pregnancy complications.

Chuang and her team said that women should be educated and receive feedback on weight gain goals by health care providers during the early stages or before pregnancy.

"Women who closely monitor their weight gain during pregnancy can prevent future complications," Chuang said.

The findings are published in the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice.