PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Women who underestimate their weight are more likely to gain too much weight during pregnancy compared to normal weight women, a U.S. researcher said.
Lead researcher Dr. Sharon Herring of Temple University in Philadelphia said compared to normal weight women who accurately assessed their pre-pregnancy weight status, the odds of gaining excessively during pregnancy were increased seven-fold among overweight and obese women who thought they weighed less than they really did.
"Normal weight women who thought they were overweight had twice the odds of excessive gestational weight gain," Herring said in a statement.
The researchers studied 1,537 women enrolled in Project Viva, who were normal weight, overweight or obese at the beginning of their pregnancies. Underweight women were not included. Of the 1,029 normal weight participants, 87 percent correctly reported that they were normal weight just prior to pregnancy, while 13 percent incorrectly thought they were overweight or obese.
Of the remaining women who were overweight or obese, 86 percent accurately perceived their body weight status, while 14 percent under-assessed their size before pregnancy.
By failing to recognize their overweight or obese status, these women may be less likely to follow pregnancy weight gain guidelines, Herring said.
The findings are published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
