Posts Tagged ‘pregnancy’

A new study of weight stigma before, during, and after pregnancy reminds us it is at once both a social and a personal problem. It comes at a woman from media, the workplace, and from family. But then she internalizes it and it leaves her “feeling fat” and less worthy of respect. Obesity medicine physician […]

A new research letter in JAMA tells us that more new mothers are using GLP-1s for weight management. The rise of use in this context is dramatic – roughly 500% between 2022 and 2024. Note that these data come from Denmark. There, we estimate the per capita use of GLP-1s for obesity is somewhat less […]

Recent advances in medicines for treating obesity are stirring up quite a conversation. The enthusiasm for them is hard to miss. Subway ads, tabloid headlines, and celebrities are putting these meds front and center. From all this enthusiasm for the new GLP-1 medicines, the impression might be something like sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. No doubt, […]

It would be hard to find a sharper contrast of scientific views. On one hand, weight gain during pregnancy “is not modifiable via diet and lifestyle change,” write Jodie Dodd and colleagues. But then again, Helena Teede and colleagues found “level 1 evidence” that diet and physical activity interventions help with less excessive weight gain […]

In his last 15 years of medical practice, Mark Landon has seen a doubling in cases of gestational diabetes. Landon is the chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Research published in JAMA tells us that this is not an isolated phenomenon in Ohio. In fact, between 2011 and […]

Some people really don’t like low calorie sweeteners. So once again we have a wave of fear-mongering headlines. This time, they’re suggesting that pregnant women who consume these sweeteners may harm their babies. The proposed harm is a change in the baby’s microbiome and a higher risk of obesity. The evidence? A study of rats […]

Obesity can be very real problem for women who want to have a baby. First of all, it can interfere with getting pregnant. Even when pregnancy becomes a reality, obesity can lead to problems. Preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, postpartum hemorrhage, cesarean delivery, excess fetal growth, stillbirth, congenital anomalies, and neonatal death are all more frequent issues […]

“I remember just breaking down into tears,” says Safeera Hussainy about her diagnosis of gestational diabetes. This pharmacist and women’s health researcher from Melbourne eventually found empowerment. But new research suggests that this is not the usual case when pregnancy, diabetes, and stigma intersect. Weight stigma itself – even more than BMI – seems to […]

A new study in JAMA will be quite important for thinking about pregnancy and severe obesity. That’s because pregnancies for women with severe obesity carry a high risk for complications. Birth defects are more common with obesity. They’re also more common with poor glucose control that’s more likely when a pregnant woman has obesity. But […]

Honestly, this one is hard to wrap our heads around. A new study in Health Psychology tells us that weight stigma during pregnancy and right after birth may be increasing the risk of depression, excess weight gain, and weight retention. Angela Incollingo Rodriguez was lead author on the study. Prospective Observations This prospective observational study […]