Dr David Knight, a Sidney fertility expert has recently raised an important issue for pregnant women: they need to lose weight to protect their babies.

Dr Knight stated that not only does obesity affect the possibility of getting pregnant, but also that women with overweight have a much larger chance of experiencing miscarriages: they are 80 times more likely to have pregnancy issues, including stillbirth or death in the first month after birth.

Dr Knight confirmed other important facts. For example, that the children of obese mothers tend to be obese themselves, because they are genetically programmed to be fat, and therefore are more likely to suffer associated diseases such as diabetes.

Also, he stated that one in five couples had fertility issues due to obesity or pregnancy at an older age in life. He also analized the fact that in Australia, for instance, twenty years ago one in seven couples were infertile, whereas today that figure changed: one in five couples have fertility problems.

A healthy diet is therefore crucial not only for the mothers´health but also for their babies, and it is imperative that we understand the role that rational nutrition has in our lives.

Via | smh