Weight, Eating & Diet in Pregnancy
Weight Study Background
Excessive weight gain in pregnancy and retention of this weight gain is
a well known problem. How women with a history of dietary restraint adjust
to being pregnant, is of interest, as pregnancy epitomises many of the
factors known to trigger overeating.
Weight Study Aim
To examine the impact of pregnancy on eating behaviour and weight concern
and the role of dietary restraint in mediating any changes.
Weight Study Methods
Primigravid and non-pregnant nulliparous women completed a questionnaire
to describe their profile characteristics, current health behaviours,
eating behaviour and weight concern. The pregnant women completed additional
retrospective items relating to these factors for the period prior to
their pregnancy.
Weight Study Results
The pregnant women reported eating more, showed lower levels of dietary
restraint, were less dissatisfied with their body shape and showed higher
eating self efficacy than non-pregnant women. Compared to the months prior
to their pregnancy, the pregnant women rated themselves as less restrained
in their eating behaviour and nearly half stated that they were eating
more. In terms of the impact of pre pregnancy levels of dietary restraint,
the results showed a significant interaction between restrained eating
and pregnancy for both hunger and eating self efficacy. The results showed
that the restrained eaters, when pregnant, rated themselves as significantly
less hungry and reported less difficulty controlling their food intake
than the non pregnant restrained eaters but showed comparable hunger and
eating control to the other groups. The results showed no effect of restrained
eating on weight change.
Weight Study Conclusion
The results suggest that pregnancy both legitimises increased food intake
and removes any previous intentions to eat less.
Source: International Journal of Obesity
(1999)
|
com