Every fourth pregnant overweight - experts strongly recommend more exercise

Obesity and pregnancy: eating for one - moving for two

Expectant mothers often eat far too much. About one in four of them is overweight. This has an impact on the offspring. Because overweight pregnant women harm their child. Health experts advise more exercise and controlled nutrition.

Over 25 percent of pregnant women are overweight

When women become pregnant, their eating habits often change radically. Not only food cravings keep turning up, expectant mothers usually eat much more in general. Of course, this also affects their weight. According to the Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE), 25.4 percent of all pregnant women are overweight at the first antenatal check-up, 14.8 percent are obese. These are the results of the preventive and accompanying program for a healthy pregnancy "Baby Care".

About every fourth pregnant woman in Germany is overweight. This can have an impact on the offspring. Because overweight in pregnancy harms the child. (Image: nerudol / fotolia.com)

Overweight of the expectant mother harms the child

According to BZfE, obesity and being overweight in the mother can increase the risk of gestational diabetes and later type 2 diabetes mellitus.

But even for the baby negative consequences are possible. Thus, improper programming of food intake regimes can lead to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems in later life of the child.

Children of overweight mothers often have higher blood sugar levels during school hours.

This has been shown in scientific studies, in which the researchers also found that the weight of the mother already affects the fetus.

In addition, obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects, Swedish scientists reported.

Regular physical activity

Complications can be reduced by, among other things, regular physical activity during pregnancy. It stimulates the metabolism and prevents excessive weight gain. Professionals recommend mild physical training.

Women who have never exercised before should start slower: "moderate exercise" means exercise for about an hour daily or most days of the week.

"Just going for a walk in the fresh air is very good," said Professor Ulrike Korsten-Reck from the Obesity Academy in Freiburg in an interview with the journal "Nutrition in Focus".

Controlled diet

Physical activity must be combined with a controlled diet during pregnancy.

Expectant mothers who are as hungry as two people do not have to eat double portions, according to experts. So much more energy is not needed during pregnancy.

In addition to the amount of professionals have other easy eating rules for pregnant women ready: expectant mothers should eat regularly and throughout the day. As a rough guide, three main meals per day are required.

If the hunger comes in between, two snacks can be added as needed.

Only eat for one person

"The food selection and thus the composition of the nutrients should be done very carefully during pregnancy," writes the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) on its website, where further recommendations can be found.

The menu should include plenty of vegetables and salad. According to experts, one to two glasses of water should be drunk at each meal.

And for breastfeeding women the recommendation of the network "Healthy into life" applies: "Move for two, eat for one". (Ad)