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Pregorexia: A legitimate problem during pregnancy?
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregorexia/AN02077
- With Mayo Clinic obstetrician and medical editor-in-chief
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
"Nothing helps people stay healthy more than the power of real knowledge about health." — Dr. Roger Harms
As medical director of content, Dr. Roger Harms is excited about the potential for Mayo Clinic's health information site to help educate people about their health and provide them the tools and information to live healthier lives.
The Auburn, Neb., native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1981 and is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Harms is a practicing physician and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and his specialty areas include office gynecology, high-risk obstetrics and obstetrical ultrasound.
From 2002 to 2007, Dr. Harms was director for education at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Harms was the 1988 Mayo Medical School Teacher of the Year and served as associate dean for student affairs and academic affairs. He is the co-author of the "Mayo Clinic Model of Education." In 2008, Dr. Harms was presented the Distinguished Educator Award, Mayo Clinic, Rochester.
Dr. Harms is vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and medical editor of the Pregnancy section on this website. In addition, Dr. Harms is editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" book, a month-by-month guide to everything a woman needs to know about having a baby.
"My medical education experience has grown out of a love of teaching, and that is what this site is about," Dr. Harms says. "If any visitor to this site makes a more informed and thus more comfortable decision about his or her health because of the information we provide, we are successful."
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Question
Pregorexia: A legitimate problem during pregnancy?
Is pregorexia for real?
Answer
from Roger W. Harms, M.D.
Pregorexia is a term used to describe a situation in which a pregnant woman becomes preoccupied with controlling her weight gain through extreme dieting and exercise. While pregorexia is possible — and could harm a baby's health — it's rare. In fact, research shows that far more women gain too much, rather than too little, weight during pregnancy.
No matter what the scale says, however, some women do excessively worry about their weight gain and experience body image issues during pregnancy. The risk of pregorexia may be higher for women who have a history of eating disorders and those who have a weak social support system. Specific warning signs of pregorexia may include:
- Talking about the pregnancy as if it weren't real
- Heavily focusing on calorie counts
- Eating alone or skipping meals
- Exercising excessively
If you're pregnant and struggling with your body image, share your concerns with your health care provider. He or she can help you determine an appropriate weight gain — based on your pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index — and explain how to use healthy lifestyle habits and proper nutrition to control weight gain during pregnancy. It may be helpful to consult a registered dietitian or a mental health provider as well.
Next questionChickenpox and pregnancy: What are the concerns?
- Mathieu J. What is pregorexia? Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009;109:976.
- Cox JT, et al. Nutrition during pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 2008;35:369.
- Olson CM. Achieving a healthy weight gain during pregnancy. Annual Review of Nutrition. 2008;28:411.
- Determining optimal weight gain. In: Committee to Reexamine IOM Pregnancy Weight Guidelines, Food and Nutrition Board and Board on Children, Youth and Families. Weight Gain During Pregnancy: Reexamining the Guidelines. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press; 2009. http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12584. Accessed May 28, 2009.
- Andersen AE, et al. Eating disorders in the obstetric and gynecologic patient population. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2009;114:1353.
- Swann RA, et al. Attitudes toward weight gain during pregnancy: Results from the Norwegian mother and child cohort study (MoBa). International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2009;42:394.
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