There are new reasons to control your weight both before and after you conceive — particularly if you’re heavy before you even try to have a baby.

Obesity promotes not only severe pregnancy complications in the mother, it also places the baby at high risk of health problems, including an increased chance of neonatal death.

That’s the sobering news from a group of Swedish researchers who say that not only is it important to control weight gain during pregnancy, but to also get your level of body fat under control before you attempt to conceive. Read the rest of this entry »

What should I weigh? The answer might be based on your age (older women will need to weigh less) , on your desire to be at low risk for death due to obesity-related diseases, or just according to how you wish your body to look.

As far as your health goes, avoiding an excessive amount of body fat is the best way to lower your risk from heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and even from developing gall bladder disease. Read the rest of this entry »

A growing number of children in the United States are obese. How can parents keep their kids from becoming obese without triggering an eating disorder, particularly in young girls?

Walk the talk. Without question, the best way to prevent or treat obesity in children is for parents to set the example themselves—eating healthfully and increasing physical activity. Parents must focus on healthful behaviors, not weight or looks. Teach the 80/20 concept: Make healthful choices 80 percent of the time and treat yourself 20 percent of the time. While caloric reduction is mandatory, deprivation and rigid restrictions of food do not work as a healthful long-term strategy for children.