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EXERCISE 08.07.2008 BY WEETABIX

pregorexics are more worried about gaining weight than the human in their uterus

Photo via Splash

Back in the day, pregnant ladies wore giant blouses and dresses and waddled around in comfy shoes. But with so many stars returning to pre-pregnacy size 2 state before they even leave the hospital (so it seems, anyway), more and more ladies are sporting a glow that comes not so much from the impending joyous arrival as it does from the frantic exercise they do to gain as little as possible.

This phenomenon has been called "pregorexia" by the press, with Nicole Richie and Nicole Kidman cited as prime examples of women who didn't have an ounce to spare. Doctors have expressed concern, since the act of cooking up an actual human being isn't exactly a breeze physically, and weirdly, you apparently need nutrients and stuff. Who knew?

In extreme cases of calcium and vitamin D deficiency, doctors are seeing both mothers and babies with the bone disorder rickets. 'It used to be said that women would lose a tooth for each child they had,' says Pat O'Brien. 'That is because the baby really will strip what it needs from your body unless you are getting enough in your diet.' Another problem is that during pregnancy the demand for iron (found in red meat) increases, with women needing around 50 percent more in order to make red blood cells for the fetus and the placenta as well as her own body. A lack of iron through dieting puts pregnant women at risk of anemia, which can make them light-headed, irritable and exhausted, and in extreme cases, cause heart palpitations.

Did you ever think you'd hear about people in this day and age getting rickets? That's one of my punchline diseases (along with scurvy) that I always joke about getting; I had no idea that people with completely adequate access to proper nutrition could still get these Dickensonian ailments. Note to self: Stop joking about the rickets thing.

What do you think about mothers who put their vanity above the health of their developing fetus? Is it reasonable to expect to not look pregnant from behind? Or should you just kick up your feet and put your quest for fitness on a break while you eat pie and watch a lot of Judge Judy for the last four months? The comments are suffering from swollen ankles.

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4 Comments

said:

I was obese when I got pregnant in 2006 and my very reasonable nutritionist was happy to share with me the information that non-overweight pregnant women used to be told by their doctors that they could only gain 15-20 pounds. She did not want me to obsess about my weight and I was happy to know one human being in the universe who was not encouraging me to obsess.

Pregorexics shouldn't be that way but doctors shouldn't be so rigid either. It's this obsession with beauty as power that has led so many to be anorexic. Okay, why is Nicole R. famous anyway? We should value people for more than just their looks.

August 7, 2008 3:12 PM

Amy said:

I don't think it's necessarily fair to say it's a vanity issue. If a person is suffering from anorexia (or bulimia, or COE, or any other disordered eating behavior), it's not vanity - it's a mental health issue, a disease. I'm terrified of becoming pregnant because I'm afraid of how my mind will react (I've been dealing with anorexia for the past eight years). I know, logically, that I should put the health of my (hypothetical) fetus first whenever I am pregnant; but logic doesn't always come in to play where eating disorders are concerned.

I mean, yeah, there are women who are just concerned with their looks and that motivates their behavior, and THAT is wrong... But we don't know what is motivating women who semi-starve themselves while pregnant, and it just seems callous to assume that it's a vanity thing, when it could very well be a more serious problem.

August 7, 2008 3:56 PM

Shannon said:

I think part of the problem is that they're using celebrities as the prime example of this situation. We all know that celebrities are not the best role models for everyone. I think that the average woman probably does care how much weight she gains while pregnant but most women don't semi-starve themselves. Celebrities do it no matter what because they're pressured to stay thin at all times. I think they see it as part of their job. And can we blame them? I mean, if they gain 10 lbs the gossip rags are saying how OMG FAT they are. Who wants that? Celebs are vain enough to care. Hell, I think I'd be vain enough to care if I were in their shoes.

Of course any pregnant woman should take care of herself to the best of her ability and that means not starving yourself or lying around eating pie and watching Judge Judy all the time. I'm pregnant myself and, man, pie and JJ sound mighty good right about now.

August 7, 2008 4:19 PM

Naty said:

My sister in law is almost 4 months pregnant and before her pregnancy she was 83 pounds and now is 95 pounds and she is 5'1 but she does wants to gain weight she is just skinny like that, sometimes you don't get a lot of weight but that doesn't mean they are preoccupy about losing weight.

August 9, 2008 2:52 PM

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