Attitude During Pregnancy Affects Weight Gain, Penn State University Study

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Overweight or obese women with the mentality that they are "eating for two" are more likely to experience excessive weight gain while pregnant, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. Cynthia Chuang, associate professor of medicine and public health sciences, studied the attitudes and habits of women who gained appropriate weight and those who exceeded guidelines. Overweight is defined as having a body mass index of 25 to 29; obese is having a BMI greater than 29. In 2009 the Institute of Medicine recommends that women of normal weight gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. Overweight women should gain 15 to 25 pounds, and obese women, 11 to 20 pounds.

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