Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. Dr. Des Troy-Aarr's "A PREGNANT WOMAN'S GUIDE TO...DIETING" (no sex, humor) by this guy (thisguy.1066@gmail.com) Summary: Good reasons for pregnant women to go on a diet... Everybody seems to have advice for pregnant women these days. Unfortunately much of it is wrong. This guide focuses on separating the facts from fiction about dieting while pregnant. 1. Dieting / trying to loose-weight during pregnancy will NOT CAUSE a healthy woman to give birth prematurely or to an under-weight baby. The odds of this happening to you are as follows; --- If you are healthy (i.e. no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no high cholesterol), of normal weight, and were between the ages of twenty and thirty when the baby was conceived: 0.8% --- If you are healthy (i.e. no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no high cholesterol), of normal weight, and were between the ages of thirty and forty when the baby was conceived: 1.1% --- If you are healthy (i.e. no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no high cholesterol), of normal weight, and were over forty when the baby was conceived: 1.7% --- If you are healthy (i.e. no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no high cholesterol), of normal weight, and were under the age of fifteen when the baby was conceived: 3.9% --- If you are overweight, but otherwise healthy (i.e. no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no high cholesterol), and were between the ages of twenty and forty when the baby was conceived: 1.6% --- If you are overweight, but otherwise healthy (i.e. no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no high cholesterol), and were between the ages of fifteen and twenty when the baby was conceived: 3.2% --- If you are overweight, but otherwise healthy (i.e. no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no high cholesterol), and were under the age of fifteen when the baby was conceived: 3.8% --- If you are of normal weight, and have health issues (i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.), and were under the age of fifteen when the baby was conceived: 4.6% --- If you are of normal weight, and have health issues (i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.), and were between the ages of fifteen and twenty when the baby was conceived: 4.1% --- If you are of normal weight, and have health issues (i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.), and were between the age of twenty and thirty when the baby was conceived: 4.5% --- If you are of normal weight, and have health issues (i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.), and were between the age of thirty and forty when the baby was conceived: 4.9% --- If you are overweight, and have health issues (i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.), and were under the age of fifteen when the baby was conceived: 3.1% --- If you are overweight, and have health issues (i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.), and were between the ages of fifteen and twenty when the baby was conceived: 3.3% --- If you are overweight, and have health issues (i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.), and were between the ages of twenty and thirty when the baby was conceived: 3.4% --- If you are overweight, and have health issues (i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.), and were between the ages of thirty and forty when the baby was conceived: 3.6% 2. Dieting during pregnancy WILL result in less weight gain...this one is TRUE --- If you eat less than 1000 calories per day throughout your pregnancy you can expect to LOSE somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 pounds --- If you eat between 1000 and 1500 calories per day throughout your pregnancy you can expect to LOSE somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 pounds --- If you eat between 1500 and 2000 calories per day throughout your pregnancy you can expect your weight to stay about the same --- If you eat between 2000 and 2500 calories per day throughout your pregnancy you can expect to GAIN somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 pounds --- If you eat between 2500 and 3000 calories per day throughout your pregnancy you can expect to GAIN somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 pounds --- If you eat the "officially recommended" 3000+ calories per day throughout your pregnancy you can expect to GAIN in excess of 35 pounds Be aware that even women who lose weight while pregnant will see an increase in size in parts of the body that are essential to giving birth to the baby (i.e. belly and breasts). 3. Dieting during pregnancy WILL NOT CAUSE the baby to be born with birth defects. While it is a sad truth that some babies are born with birth defects the percentage of babies born with birth defects is exactly the same no matter how much weight the mother gained or lost during her pregnancy. Birth defects are a result of a combination of genetics and the mother's exposure to heavy metals (i.e. lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.) during pregnancy. 4. Dieting / losing weight during pregnancy WILL NOT CAUSE the baby to be dim-witted. While it is a sad truth that some babies will be born dim-witted, the percentage of babies born dim-witted is exactly the same no matter how much weight the mother gained or lost during her pregnancy. Dim-wittedness is a result of a combination of genetics, the mother's exposure to heavy metals (i.e. lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.), and excessive alcohol consumption (getting drunk two or more times per week) during pregnancy. A significant percentage of the world's business and political leaders shave mothers who did not gain weight during their pregnancies. 5. A woman who diets and/or loses weight while pregnant DECREASES the chances that her child will become overweight. The odds of a child becoming overweight are as follows; --- Child becomes overweight before 6th birthday: mother lost weight .009%, mother didn't gain weight .02%, mother gained normal amount of weight .8% --- Child becomes overweight at age 6: mother lost weight .02%, mother didn't gain weight .08%, mother gained normal amount of weight 1.3% --- Child becomes overweight at age 7: mother lost weight .07%, mother didn't gain weight 1.1%, mother gained normal amount of weight 3.4% --- Child becomes overweight at age 8: mother lost weight 1.4%, mother didn't gain weight 2.6%, mother gained normal amount of weight 5.2% --- Child becomes overweight at age 9: mother lost weight 1.6%, mother didn't gain weight 2.9%, mother gained normal amount of weight 5.7% --- Child becomes overweight at age 10: mother lost weight 1.6%, mother didn't gain weight 3.0%, mother gained normal amount of weight 5.8% --- Child becomes overweight at age 11: mother lost weight 1.6%, mother didn't gain weight 3.0%, mother gained normal amount of weight 5.9% --- Child becomes overweight at age 12: mother lost weight 1.8%, mother didn't gain weight 3.2%, mother gained normal amount of weight 5.9% --- Child becomes overweight at age 13: mother lost weight 1.9%, mother didn't gain weight 3.2%, mother gained normal amount of weight 6.2% --- Child becomes overweight at age 14: mother lost weight 2.0%, mother didn't gain weight 3.4%, mother gained normal amount of weight 6.3% --- Child becomes overweight at age 15: mother lost weight 2.1%, mother didn't gain weight 3.4%, mother gained normal amount of weight 6.3% --- Child becomes overweight at age 16: mother lost weight 2.1%, mother didn't gain weight 3.5%, mother gained normal amount of weight 6.6% --- Child becomes overweight at age 17: mother lost weight 2.3%, mother didn't gain weight 3.5%, mother gained normal amount of weight 6.7%