South Africa: We Tracked Soweto Mothers-to-Be to Find Out More About Diet and Obesity Patterns

analysis

Pregnancy has been described as a "teachable moment" for promoting healthy lifestyle choices. This is because pregnant women are highly motivated to make behavioural changes. Whether the change involves taking a prescribed medication or supplement, or giving up a risky behaviour such as smoking, pregnant women are more committed because they feel a responsibility towards the health and well-being of their unborn child.

Such positive lifestyle changes will always be beneficial. But, for women who fall pregnant with conditions such as obesity, they may come too late. This is important because the nutrition environment experienced by fetuses during pregnancy can affect their growth and development in early life. This, in turn, affects their risk of developing obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease as they age.

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