Women who diet "habitually" prior to becoming pregnant tend to gain more weight during pregnancy and "regard themselves as less accountable for their weight while pregnant," according to researchers at the University of North Carolina.
More than 1,200 women were studied to determine whether a history of dieting and restrained eating prior to pregnancy was related to higher weight gains in pregnancy.
The researchers note that excessive gestational weight gain "is of concern because of its association with postpartum weight retention" and other "adverse pregnancy outcomes such as gestational diabetes mellitus, cesarean sections, large-for-gestational age, and breastfeeding duration."
"With the exception of underweight women, all other women with a history of dieting or restrained eating gained more weight during pregnancy and had higher adequacy of weight gain ratios," the researchers found.
They concluded: "Restrained eating behaviors were associated with weight gains above the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for normal, overweight, and obese women and weight gains below the recommendations for underweight women."-American Dietetic Association
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