Eating for Two Harms Mom, Baby

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.Women who eat an extra 500 calories a day during pregnancy increase their risk of gaining too much weight by 10 percent, increasing their odds for complications at birth such as pre-eclampsia or C-section, as well as higher odds that both mom and child will be obese later in life, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

Researchers reviewed data for more than 1,300 women and found that those who consumed extra calories, as well as fried foods and dairy products, were more likely to gain more than is recommended during pregnancy.

Women with vegetarian diets in early pregnancy were half as likely to gain an unhealthy amount of weight, and those who exercised vigorously for a half hour a day reduced their risk by 20 percent. The researchers also found that consuming more monounsaturated fat, found in olive oil and nuts, was linked with a lower risk of excessive weight gain.