A note before I start: I don’t make responsibility for mothers. I support the over-establishment of old-yet-enturing Hyperfocus in weight + anti-lucrative prejudice in society and health care. As individuals, we all try to do the best we can, and when we look back on something we did that we thought it was just at that moment, but now we realize it was probably wrong, this can be a fist worthy of self -concentration but also of determination to do better now that we know better.
About a month ago, I was investigating an article on “Wackadoo Diet History” for my own Paid newsletter “Food Noise”When I remembered something I heard a few years ago. That is, that diet mothers in the 1960s and 1970s could contribute to the “epidemic”, which emerged in this country in 1976-1980. Let’s see what was happening in the previous two to three decades:
- 1962: Weight Watchers made the debut
- 1963: The Tab soda entered the market to help you keep “tabs” on your weight. (Arrrghhh … I remember drinking this as a child!)
- 1966: Twiggy was the aesthetic ideal
- 1970: BMI was adopted as a tool for monitoring and promotion for OB*
- 1972: Publication of “Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution” and founding Nutrisystem
- 1976-1980: The concept of “epidemic” appeared in the US
- 1977: Slim Fast and Dexatrim entered the market
- 1980: First Jane Fonda training video
- 1981: Lean Cuisine entered the market (and we all felt guilty when we are not satisfied with tiny cardboard foods)
Hmmm … Interesting
What happens to utero stays for life
The idea of ”eating for two” when the pregnant woman has been around for centuries, but this wording is a bit misleading. A pregnant adult does not need to double their usual calories, but they should eat more calories and more basic nutrients. This is to support the growing fetus as well as to meet the increased nutritional needs of their own body, which increases more tissue and dramatically extends blood volume to know, develop a human being.
In fact, exposure to inadequate calories and nutrients during critical growth windows – with time in the uterus being one of the most critical – is linked to metabolism and behavioral disorders later in life. Data from observation survey and animal research show very strongly that “Nutrition planning” in the uterus can affect the health of the fetus from birth through death.
The most critical part of this “critical window” is in the arrest and eight weeks later. Why? Because this happens when the future child develops his or her organs. If the organs do not grow properly due to insufficient calories and nutrients, then these organs are “trained” to operate in a low nutrient environment.
After birth, when the child and the future adult have access to sufficient calories and nutrients, there will be a permanent mismatch between the conditions in which the organs formed and the conditions with which they continue to operate. This sets the stage for chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease. It also defines the scene for weight gain. (This is known as developmental origin of health and disease.)
So, why do I mention observation studies and animals research when randomized controlled tests are the only type of research that can really determine the cause and the result? Because It would be deep, terribly unethical to accidentally assign pregnant women to eat an inadequate diet or adequate diet.
However, unfortunately, we have data from the real famines that approach a randomized controlled test.
What we learned from the tragic Dutch famine
For example, a wealth of valuable information came from Dutch hunger (also known as the winter of hunger) in the Netherlands for six months at the end of World War II. The Nazis had discontinued food supplies in the western part of the Netherlands, which directly or indirectly affected 4.5 million people.
The combination of an extremely harsh winter, bad crops and four years of war meant that the population in this area was forced to live in 400-800 calories a day. People had to eat grass and tulip bulbs to survive. (I remember reading Audrey Hepburn’s autobiography many years ago and talked about her experience living through it.)
Blinks about 50 years, and Researchers began to study the health of adults in the womb during the lake; And it was compared to the health of the brothers who were in the womb before or after hunger. Were able to do this because:
- There was a sudden appearance and rapid relief from hunger (well -specified time period).
- Is imposed on a previous population.
- Food availability was accurately registered throughout the landscape.
- Midwives and doctors continued to provide obstetric care and maintained a detailed medical records throughout the lake, some of which have been maintained for decades-allowing long-term surveillance studies.
They found that adults in the Utero during hunger – especially in the first trimester – were more likely to suffer from various physical and mental health problems as adults but Adults exposed to famine anywhere, while the uterus were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and heart disease as adults. Exposed females also had a higher risk of breast cancer. They were also more likely to become “overweight”, and the children of the fathers exposed to the Utero (so the next generation) were more likely to be in higher weights as adults.
So she was hungry. What about a diet? Well, The body does not know the difference between a hunger and intentional calories and there have been some restrictive crazy cones diets in the 1960s and 1970s. And if a woman was in one of these crazy diet diets at the time of conception, and remained in this crazy diet for weeks before she knew she was pregnant, what could she do to her child? (Again, not responsible for mothers !!!) !!!)
Smaller babies, older adults?
Regardless of reason, poor nutrition and inadequate weight gain during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of pre-years of birth and newborns that are young for pregnancy age. This applies no matter where in the BMI chart the mother’s weight falls when she becomes pregnant. (Not that I think BMI is a good measure a lot, but it is a useful reference to this case.)
When newborns are young for pregnancy age, they usually have Rapid growth period and more likely to become “ob*se” later in life.
I remember a few years ago when a client who was in the early 1970s told me that when she was pregnant, her doctor ordered her to gain as little weight as possible – and was in a “normal” body weight!
Unfortunately, many people across the whole range of weight still limit calories, whether they struggle with a restrictive eating disorder, try to lose these “last few pounds”, or try to force their genetically predecessor oily body in the mold of the fine ideal .
Also Unfortunately, pregnant women on higher weight bodies still say to gain less weight than women in “normal” weight Or lower bodies of weight, as embryos can live by their mother’s body fat.
Both mother and baby need sufficient calories and nutrients from food and When calorie intake goes down, diet usually descends also Especially if you also have to devote time and energy to things like a job (or two or three), other children, a washing machine, possibly care for older ones and cannot be micro -processed the nutritional content of each meal. In other words, most people.
The big picture
To be fair, gaining “excess” weight during pregnancy can also cause problems, But the over -thesis in avoiding “excess” profit without being accompanied by support to make sure that pregnant women meet their nutrient needs are deep.
And as I think I explainedThis is not just about the future weight of the unborn child, this is their future health. The weight is what is and while many health problems are “related” to higher weight, thin people develop diabetes, heart disease, anxiety and depression.
However, some doctors, I want to kick in fists, believe that weight gain goals are very high, especially for excessive and obese women.
The body of each pregnant This is the amount of critical nutrients such as folic acid, iron and choline. And, As I wrote about Seattle’s Times this weekIt seems that many more pregnant people are lacking in this area.
Because many pregnant women do not have access to stellar preliminary care, I really worry that a standard recommendation to avoid gaining “excess” weight may not represent differences in nutritional status.
Again, the fewer calories one gets, the harder it is to hit significant dietary signs, Because you have less food to do it. This is true if one experiences famine, it makes a “good old -fashioned” calorie diet or takes a weight loss drug that reduces appetite to the point where they eat very little.
Only some food for thought.
Carrie dennett; Mph, rdn, is a nutritionist based in northwestern Pacific, journalistintuitive nutrition consultant, authorand speaker. Its superpowers include Diet and empowerment of women and men Feel better in their bodies and make food choices that support pleasure, nutrition and health. This post is only for information purposes and is not a personalized diet or medical advice.
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