Pregorexia is the latest media term to describe pregnant women who restrict the calories within their diet and exercise excessively to control weight gain. In an article in the 7 April 2010 New Zealand Doctor newspaper, dietitian Julia Sekula from Auckland Dietetic Consultants is warning lead maternity carers, GPs and mums-to-be of the real risks involved in giving the "perfect baby bump” top priority. While many New Zealand women gain too much weight in pregnancy, which brings its own risks for the mother and baby, there are equally serious risks to the baby from undernourishment during pregnancy – many of which tend to manifest themselves as chronic disease as the child becomes an adult. Warning signs for “pregorexia” highlighted by Julia Sekula include:
- documented history of an eating disorder
- talking about pregnancy as if it were not real
- focusing on calorie counts instead of general health
- eating alone
- skipping meals
- a weak or non-existent support system.
top