Eating For Two: The New No-No

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Mums who follow the old adage of “eating for two” while pregnant may be doing their unborn baby more harm than good, new research suggests.

While modern practice advises thinking of eating for two as choosing nutrient-rich food rather than merely doubling the amount eaten, new research shows mothers who overeat in pregnancy risk their offspring developing behavioural disorders and mental health conditions.

A group of scientists from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada collated more than a dozen different studies that investigated the impact a mum’s diet during pregnancy had on the future health of their child.

Research in the US discovered children of obese mums had IQ scores five points lower than kids whose mum was in the healthy weight range. A Swedish study showed kids from obese mums were more likely to have attention deficit disorder.

An Australian study indicated the likelihood of a child developing an eating disorder increased by 11 per cent for each point their mum’s BMI went up during pregnancy. The researchers believe the results could be due to hormonal and chemical changes caused by overeating.

What do you think? Do you think mums-to-be tend to overeat during pregnancy? Did you "eat for two" while pregnant?

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