Pregorexia is affecting more and more American women who choose to eat as little as possible during pregnancy out of fear of gaining weight. With celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman, who maintained a very thin figure throughout their pregnancy and reclaimed their pre-baby body in very little time, the spotlight on such high-profile women may be putting other women at risk for developing this disorder.

The health ramifications of this condition for both the mother and unborn child cannot be underestimated. Drastically reducing calories during pregnancy has been linked to low baby birth weight, birth defects like spina bifida, growth retardation and a host of vitamin and mineral deficiencies affecting mother and child.

Since pregorexia is such a new condition, very little epidemiological data exists on the prevalence of it. But a few important research studies discuss the prevalence of eating disorders in pregnant women and the risk factors of being anorexic while also being pregnant. Most of the research comes from the United Kingdom, where pregorexia has received more attention than here in the U.S.

According to Tommy’s, the British organization that funds research on pregnancy, pregnancy complications and prenatal education, two percent of all pregnant women in the UK suffer from eating disorders.

Many gynecologists and obstetricians are clinically aware of tell-tale signs of anorexia or bulimia but very few of them know what questions should be asked to an expectant mother who has a history of an eating disorder or is showing the hallmark signs of pregorexia such as slow or gradual weight gain or excessive exercise.  According to the Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating Disorders, one of the nation’s leading eating disorder treatment centers, eating disorders are increasing in women of childbearing age. They estimate that four percent of child-bearing women have an eating disorder.

Hopefully as more awareness is generated around pregorexia, additional research and education will be done so that medical and health professionals and moms-to-be can understand the signs, risks and best preventive means to address this disorder.

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Pregorexia: The New Eating Disorder Affecting Pregnant Women

The stability ball not only can be used as a chair while you spend countless hours in front of the computer or television, but a great exercise tool during pregnancy. The stability ball helps pregnant women maintain balance and stability as well as a strong core. A strong core is vital during the pushing phase of labor. The shape and give of the ball molds to the shape of your back/body thus relieving any pressure or tension created during other normal movements. Therefore, this allows pregnant women the opportunity to exercise longer throughout the pregnancy (which will help prepare your muscles and body for labor and post-delivery).

Below are a list of the benefits that the stability ball provides and a stability ball exercise routine that you can use throughout your pregnancy. I recommend using a light weight (if any) while performing two or three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

Please contact your physician before starting any exercise routine during your pregnancy!

Benefits of the Stability Ball During Pregnancy:

1. Increase core and total body strength and endurance
2. Improve balance and stability
3. Improve posture and circulation
4. Strengthens and prevents injury to the pelvic floor
5. Avoid extreme weight gain

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Benefits of a Fitness Ball During Pregnancy

Kardashian has come out in denial of this cover, reporting on Twitter, “One of those weeklies got it wrong again…they didn’t have an exclusive with me. And I gained 40 pounds while pregs, not 26…But thanks!” She was quoted in Women’s Wear Daily as saying, “They doctored and Photoshopped my body to make it look like I have already lost all the weight, which I have not.”

I’m almost hesitant to say this – for I fear that there will be a case out there somewhere that will be unearthed – but no woman can lose 40+ pounds of baby weight just a week after birth. No woman – not even a woman with access to a personal chef, a nanny, maids and a personal trainer – could be successful in this.

To begin with, I don’t know of one woman who has the energy to work out for eight hours a day at just a week postpartum. Photoshopped covers like this are just not realistic, and I’d like to thank Kourtney Kardashian for being honest enough to tell the world that the cover wasn’t real. After all, she could have stayed quiet and let us all assume that she looks better after delivery than before pregnancy – as many celebrities have done. But the reality is, substantial, long-term weight loss takes time. I’m happy to hear that Kourtney has been honest with all of us as to the reality of life with a newborn.

If you’ve recently had a baby or are expecting, congratulations! It’s a wonderful, exciting time, and your body is doing an amazing thing; growing a new human being isn’t easy! You will leave the hospital with extra weight; it’s perfectly normal and natural. After you have the baby, you will probably want to lose some of those extra pounds, and the smart, healthy way to do it is the way you put the weight on – one pound at a time, slow and steady. Watch your diet, making sure that you are eating fresh, wholesome foods and not fast foods and cake, and add light exercise in as soon as your doctor tells you it is safe. Pop the baby in a sling and walk around the block. Dance with your older children. Small amounts of movement add up over time, and you’ll be back to pre-pregnancy weight before you know it.

Just don’t look at the covers of tabloid magazines.

Also Read:

Octomom Nadya Suleman Loses 50 Pounds Without Surgery

Jessica Alba’s Brutal Post-Baby Weight Loss

A Workout Regimen to Help Lose Baby Weight

Video: Momversation Discusses Losing the Baby Weight

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Kourtney Kardashian’s Post-Baby Weight Loss Pictures Photoshopped

After delivering eight children, Nadya Suleman, aka “Octomom,” lost 150 pounds in just nine months, without surgery, without a personal trainer, and without customized diet meals delivered to her door. Topping the scales at 270 pounds just before giving birth in January of 2009, she is now back to her pre-pregnancy size 2 measurement.

So, how did she accomplish this amazing feat?

By following the diet that every intelligent and realistic medical or health professional has been preaching for years: Eat less and move more.

While the Octomom may not be on your favorite pseudo-celebrity list, the mother of eight does deserve some serious credit for carrying a world-record number of babies and being able to flaunt around in a bikini just a year after her brood was born.

The cover of this week’s Star magazine features Nadya in a two-piece red bathing suit. In the magazine, she discusses her inspiring transformation and credits it to eating five small protein-filled meals a day and exercising, sometimes in the middle of the night, while her clan slept. And since there was little room for working out in her home, which is overflowing with cribs, diapers, toys, bottles and changing tables, the Octomom hit the nearby 24 Hour Fitness just outside of her L.A. home to cram in strength-training and cardio exercise in the wee hours of the night.

That’s dedication.

Ironically, rumor has it that her gym membership to 24 Hour Fitness expired just a few weeks before giving birth but an unnamed benefactor, who obviously understands the benefits of exercise for physical and mental health, intervened and paid for Nadya’s membership to the gym for one full year.

Clearly, the Octomom has raised the bar on what it takes to lose the baby weight. And whether moms across the land will be inspired by her weight loss success or resent her for poking holes in their reasons for not losing the baby weight is still to be determined.

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Octomom Nadya Suleman Loses 50 Pounds Without Surgery

Kourtney admits that she only gained a healthy 26 pounds during her pregnancy (the recommended pregnancy weight gain is about 35 pounds). While trying to keep up with her new baby boy will certainly help her shed those pounds, she has also announced plans to use the weight loss supplement QuickTrim.

It seems those Kardahsian sisters share a lot, as Kim Kardashian has been pitching the product for some time. Kourtney’s mom Kris Jenner (married to Olympian Bruce Jenner) told US Weekly “I’m going to do it with Kourtney. We are very excited!”

What is QuickTrim? It’s a weight loss cleanse product that comes in a variety of forms, including a 48-hour fast cleanse and a 14-day formula. The lemonade drink is similar in ingredients and results as the Lemonade Diet, which has been a Hollywood weight loss staple for years, used by celebs like Denzel and Beyonce.

QuickTrim Extreme Burn is another product in the brand family, and this focuses on the use of diet pills to achieve your weight loss goals. It claims to help users burn an unbelievable 8,000 additional calories each month.

No word yet on whether or not Kourtney will use her sister’s workout DVDs, Kim Kardashian’s Fit Into Your Jeans by Friday, to help with the baby weight loss.

Read DietsInReview.com’s review of the QuickTrim weight loss products.

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Kourtney Kardashian to Shed Baby Weight with QuickTrim

Although the benefits of soaking in a hot tub are plentiful, doing so after a long run or hard workout may be more harmful than good. After a long run or tough workout, your muscles and joints are typically inflamed and adding heat to the specific areas will increase blood flow and increase inflammation.

Also, after a long run or hard workout, your body may be a little dehydrated and adding warm water from the hot tub will more than likely dehydrate you more. Below are some more hot tub safety facts that you should keep in mind.

Reasons to Avoid the Hot Tub:

• Pregnancy: Doctors recommend avoiding hot tubs due to the risk of the body over-heating and simply dehydration.

• High Blood Pressure: Heat may cause unwanted reactions to medications; check with physician before use.

• Heart Disease: The extreme temperatures may cause dizziness, nausea, or fainting.

• Over-use: Pay attention to time limits; 15 to 20 minutes is more than enough time to soak in the heated water. Excessive time will cause dehydration.

• Substance Use (Alcohol): The combination of heated water and substance use will thin the blood and more than likely cause dehydration or dizziness.

• Post Workout: Avoid heated water after a hard workout or long run due to the risk of dehydration and inflammation of the muscles and joints.

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Hot Tubs Not Safe After Workouts

Pregnancy does a number on your body, but happily, many of those changes are temporary. At the end, you have a beautiful baby to show for it. What you don’t know, though, is that some of the changes that your body goes through can raise the risk of other struggles later in your life.

For example, if you suffered from pre-eclampsia during your pregnancy, you may show symptoms of heart disease as many as three years sooner than those women who had normal blood pressure readings. Make sure to keep track of your blood pressure readings at every check up.

If you were diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you will need to be tested every year for type 2 diabetes, for your chances of being diagnosed with this disease increase as much as 50 percent.

For those women who suffer from postpartum depression, as many as 15 percent of all pregnant women will be afflicted with this debilitating disease, they are more than twice as likely to find themselves depressed later in life. Perimenopause and menopause may also be more likely to cause depression to surface.

These are definitely not reasons to avoid a pregnancy, though! They are all the more reason to actively pursue a healthy pregnancy. With careful planning and monitoring, these situations can be avoided and all that will remain at the end is your cute and cuddly little one!

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Health Effects of Pregnancy on a Woman’s Body

The study, which was funded by the Centers for Disease Control, charted the weight loss progress of more than 1,600 obese pregnant women. The investigators found that 75 percent of the pregnant women gained too much weight during their pregnancy and the more weight they gained, the less chances they had at taking it off after giving birth.

In 2009, The Institute of Medicine recommended that obese women gain no more than 11 to 20 pounds during pregnancy. Normal weight women are encouraged to gain 25 to 35 pounds.

According to Science Daily, the study found that, on average, women retained 40 percent of the weight they gained during pregnancy twelve months following giving birth. For instance, if a woman gained 20 pounds during pregnancy, she would still be carrying around eight of those pounds one year after delivery.

This study has important implications for pregnant women who are going into their pregnancy as overweight or obese. This extra weight increases risk for weight-related pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, delivering injuries, overweight babies and C-sections. And given the work involved in taking care of an infant, finding the time to exercise and eat right becomes less of a priority for many new moms.

Lifestyle habits like a proper pregnancy diet and exercise are tough to change, but if actions are taken during pregnancy or even pre-pregnancy so that obese women have the information and motivation to help them stay within their healthy weight-gain guidelines, then the outcome becomes a much healthier picture for both mom and baby.

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Obese Women More Likely to Retain Baby Weight

The actress, who is known for her roles on Lifetime’s Rita Rocks, the sketch comedy series, MADtv and other sitcoms like Scrubs and The King of Queens, is determined to lose the 35 pounds she gained while pregnant with her second son. The actress gave birth six weeks ago and will spend the next few months working hard on the Jenny Craig food and exercise plan to lose the baby weight she put on her petite 5′ 5″ frame.

“You spend a year of your life eating what you want and enjoying letting the baby have what it feels like having — and I’[ve] lost track of what I’m supposed to be doing that’s right,” Sullivan tells People magazine.

With the constant support of Jenny Craig counselors, pre-portioned and calorie-controlled meals and the constant cameras who will be snapping nearly every pound of her weight loss, Sullivan has all of the pieces in place for a successful weight loss journey.

Sullivan’s reasons for getting in shape are just like the rest of millions of moms who are eager to lose the baby weight:

“I want to put my jeans on and have my jeans look cute.”

And on a less image-focused level, Sullivan also wants to feel young again. She discredits the extra weight she is carrying around to her feeling older and less willing to be active.

Sullivan is not that far off either: Carrying around extra weight is associated with early onset of age-related conditions like diabetes, and when you’re not feeling great about yourself, digging up the motivation to take a jog with your partner or hit the beach with your kids is all but nonexistent.

But for a new-mom, it is important to keep weight loss at a safe pace and allow time for the body to replenish itself. Given Sullivan’s post-pregnant state, it is likely that Jenny Craig will pay special attention to her unique nutritional needs and physical abilities.

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Nicole Sullivan Named New Jenny Craig Spokesperson

We also did not forget about the new dads, inviting a couple of fathers who’ve battled the “daddy baby bulge” to share their experiences and how they’re overcoming the sympathy weight they gained alongside their wives.

Here you’ll find each of the posts from our Healthy Pregnancy series. We thank each of the contributors who made this series possible, and hope you’ll find this to be valuable information.

Getting Ready to Shed that Baby Weight This mom-to-be talks about her successful weight loss, only to turn around and plan another pregnancy. Learn how she plans to take it right back off. Susan Wenner Jackson from Mr. and Mrs. Get Fit

5 Pregnancy Diet Tips from Jillian Michaels and 4 Pregnancy Fitness Tips from Jillian Michaels The no-nonsense Biggest Loser trainer breaks down pregnancy diet and fitness needs with simple and approachable ways. Jillian Michaels

What Pregnant Moms Need to Know about Gestational Diabetes From personal experience, Jill Knapp shares three simple ways in which pregnant women can prevent gestational diabetes. Jill Knapp from Get Up and Get Moving

Pros and Cons of Pilates During Pregnancy with Alana Reed This Pilates expert talks about the many benefits pregnant women can enjoy by practicing this gentle fitness program. Alana Reed

Obesity Increases Chances of Infertility The author of several books related to infertility discusses the relationship between higher BMIs and reduced fertility in both men and women. Evelina Sterling from My Fertility Plan

Setting Goals to Lose the Daddy Bulge One of the dads who admits he “would eat for two as my wife was” talks about the goal that’s helping him slim down. Jason from SnaggedMag

Dads, Battle the Baby Bulge During Your Partner’s Pregnancy This father of twins, with one on the way, shared all of his wife’s fast-food cravings the first time and watched his weight rise. This time, he’s letting his wife have the cravings and he’s focused on his health. Clint Springer

New Mom Tips for Shedding the Baby Weight This mom stopped making excuses and got busy losing weight, 20 pounds in four months to be exact. Find out her real-life tips that work for losing baby weight. Christina from A Mommy Story

Omega-3 Can Prevent Postpartum Depression and 5 Ways to Overcome Postpartum Depression Our resident mental health professional discusses the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids for postpartum prevention, as well as simple steps you can take for preventing and managing the depression. Brooke Randolph of DietsInReview.com

8 Tips for Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss from Moms This mom gathered advice from other new moms to share real-life tips that work when trying to drop those post-pregnancy pounds. Rebecca from Life With Boys

Be Grocery Shopping Savvy During Pregnancy From the IFIC comes advice for feeding your grocery-shopping induced cravings with something more nutritious that will fuel your pregnant body. Elizabeth Rahavi, R.D. from IFIC

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Healthy Pregnancy Week