Pregnancy eating: A bad diet could leave women stuck with extra weight for life
Young mothers are often thought to be at an advantage when it comes to getting back in shape after pregnancy.
But in fact women who have babies in their teens are significantly more likely than older mothers to become obese later in life, research shows.
Those who had their first child aged 19 or younger were a third more likely to be very overweight, it found.
Significantly fewer women who gave birth in their teens were of normal weight than those who had babies later.
Lead author Dr Tammy Chang said: ‘For the first time, we’ve identified our youngest mums as a high risk group for obesity, one of the most debilitating long-term health issues we face.
‘When taking care of teen mums, we often have so many immediate concerns – childcare, housing, school, social and financial support – that we don’t often think of long-term health effects.’
After controlling for factors such as race, education and background, the scientists found women who gave birth before 19 had a 32 per cent higher risk of obesity than women who had given birth at age 20 or later.
The survey by the University of Michigan of US women aged between 20 and 59 is believed to be the first to identify teen pregnancy as a predictor of obesity.
Around 15 per cent of British women are now obese when expecting a child – up from 7 per cent 20 years ago.
Last year, researchers from Queen Mary, University of London found mothers with a calorie-controlled diet were less likely to suffer life-threatening pre-eclampsia and other complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure or premature birth.
Post pregnancy weight: Mothers who had their first child as a teenager were a third more likely to be very overweight
Following a healthy diet reduced weight gain during pregnancy by nearly half a stone on average.
The study, published on bmj.com, also said bad diet in pregnancy could leave women stuck with extra pounds for life.
The study, published on bmj.com, also said bad diet in pregnancy could leave women stuck with extra pounds for life.
Dr Chang said of her research, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology: ‘We need further studies to better understand the link between teen birth and obesity, so physicians and policy-makers can provide the best care to teen mothers.
‘Obesity is a prevalent, expensive health problem and it’s difficult to reverse, which is why it’s incredibly important to identify at-risk groups early so that we can intervene.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2312688/Teen-mothers-higher-obesity-risk-Women-child-19-likely-overweight.html#ixzz2RCtaedVh
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