I guess it was just a matter of time before something like this happened. The news is full of stories and pictures of celebrities snapping back into shape weeks after giving birth. Now the obsession with being thin and dieting has given rise to a new condition: PREGOREXIA.

What is Pregorexia?

This is a disorder that affects pregnant women who have an obsession with being thin. It involves not only excessive exercising, but also dieting, and sometimes self-induced vomiting. Pregorexia affects pregnant women who want to avoid putting on too much weight while pregnant and to lose it quickly after giving birth.

In some quarters it is referred to as anorexia for pregnant women. Not everyone sees it as an eating disorder. This is based on the fact that pregorexia is about more than just dieting.

Dangers to the Unborn Child

There are a number of things that can happen to the unborn child that will impact them even after birth, caused by improper eating and excessive exercise. Some of the main ones are:

• Low birth weight

• Growth retardation

• Neurological defects due to oxygen deprivation resulting from excess exercising

• Miscarriage or near miscarriage

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Anemia

Dangers for the Woman

Interestingly this can also impact the mother’s health as well. So while she is maintaining her weight she may not be getting adequate amounts of vital minerals and vitamins for her and her baby.

Some major problems include:

• If the mother isn’t getting enough calcium for example, her baby will pull what it needs. This means that the mother-to-be will end up with bone problems because of a lack of calcium.

• Increase likelihood of needing to have a c-section

• Anemia

• Emotional problems such as shame and embarrassment cause added issues for the woman leading to depression

Thankfully, the condition is now coming out of the closet so to speak as women speak about their problems. There are some signs to look out for to gauge whether a pregnant woman is going beyond trying to maintain a healthy weight.

To help prevent an expectant mother from developing the condition the following can help:

• Forming a supportive network for the mother-to-be

• Providing information on healthy weight gain during pregnancy

• Knowing the warning signs so as to provide intervention quickly.

Pregorexia is a real problem and unless something is done it will have major consequences in years to come.

I saw an article recently about a trend for women to diet during pregnancy. According to the article, women are trying to emulate the numerous slim, yet pregnant celebrities by dieting excessively during pregnancy. I have not known women who actually do this, but I admit, I have seen more than my share of women who diet excessively after the baby is born in order to resize to their svelte pre-pregnancy shape. I also know women who just lose that pregnancy weight easily.

We all know at least one woman who gained like 11 pounds and ate any and everything while she was expecting and actually left the hospital with her baby weighing less than she did before her pregnancy. Well, at least I do.

I also have several friends who were back in their pre-pregnancy jeans by the time they went back to work 6 weeks later.

My body doesn?t work that way. I?ve carried 5 babies to term and for each of them, it?s taken me at least 10 months to regain my pre-pregnancy figure. Yes, I watch my calories and yes, I exercised. It seemed that no matter what I did, the baby weight didn?t budge until after I weaned my children.

I suppose this was one of those actually good evolutionary things that was pre-programmed into women of my genetic history?you know, for the good of the survival of our species during the early, early years of history. I assume this is so because all of the women in my family who nursed their babies shared the same struggle.

However, only in the last 40 years or so has this created a dilemma for anyone. For example, in my grandmother?s generation, a woman with curves and a little extra fat was considered desirable. People were just coming out of the Depression, and being skinny meant that you couldn?t afford to eat. How times have changed!

With my son, I have noticed a sort of unhealthy sense of competition between women to race to see who can lose her pregnancy weight the quickest. Just who can zip up those jeans first? I actually got an email from an acquaintance who belonged to our homeschool group announcing that she had lost precisely 18 pounds in the 3 weeks since she birthed her son. She had only 10 more pounds to go until she was her pre-pregnancy size. She detailed her plans to drop those last 10 pounds too.

I was stunned and saddened. Where was the ?it?s been 3 weeks since little Elmo came home and he?s almost sleeping through the night!? or ?Little Elmo has his Daddy?s eyes most definitely!?

I have a different perspective though. I have difficult pregnancies and after numerous miscarriages and a stillborn child, the weight games mean nothing to me. If given the choice between a healthy child and several baby pounds that I couldn?t shed, I?d choose the child. Yes, with my first child I obsessed over my weight and feared that I wouldn?t lose my pregnancy pounds. But it?s been 15 years since then, and I am approaching the age of 40. I have to say I am heavier than when I birthed my first child, but I am also healthier.

I have learned to make peace with my body and to accept the fact that it will do what it is designed to do, irregardless of the ?acceptable? images that the media and our culture toss out. It has taken me almost 40 years to get to the point where I am able to accept my body and marvel at the miracle of it all.

Perhaps you are reading this article now and you have concerns just like I did during my first pregnancy. I?d encourage you to enjoy your pregnancy and to be objective about your weight, not obsessive. I?d encourage you to realize that just because Suzy Starlette is thin and svelte during and after her pregnancy doesn?t mean it will be that way for you. It may take sometime for your body to lose all that weight, or you may not lose those last 5 pounds. I?d encourage you to look at your overall health and not at the number on the scale or your pant size for validation.

Remember, you are more than your size or your weight!