Pregorexia has become a relatively common phenomenon, and is being used mostly with pregnancy. So what does it actually mean? Well, itis a combination of two terms, pregnancy and anorexia. It involves severe eating disorders, which surfaces during pregnancy. These eating disorders can cause a lot of harm to the health of the mother and the baby.
What causes Pregorexia?
There are many times that a pregnant lady fails to increase weight, and this could mean that she has an eating disorder. It could be due to various reasons. While it could be because she skips her meals, counts her calories,orshe probably has a completely obsessive behaviour towards food, which can stop her from gaining weight. Women also do excessive exercises sometimes, which could again stop her from gaining weight. All of these can make the pregnant ladies irritable and give her a huge amount of stress, as well. This might hold true for all those women, who have been known to have eating disorders, and also for all those, who were not suffering from this, earlier.
Given below are 11 important things that you should know about Pregorexia:
11 Important Things that you Should know about Pregorexia
1} It causes fatigue
Pregorexia causes fatigue, depression and low nutrition in the expectant ladies. While the growing embryo might try to suck out whatever it wants from the mom, it would soon reach a point, where the mother lacks the nutrients that are required for sustaining both the mother and the child. And, that is when things might become a little dangerous for both.
2} Hampers growth of the embryo
It can lead to serious consequences for the child, such as cerebral palsy, foetal mortality, miscarriage, preemies, low birth weight of the babies, and other developmental hazards for the child.
3} Go slow with losing weight
Unless you are in the modelling line, there is absolutely no need or urgency to look thin, or lose weight immediately after child birth. Let the things go normally, and it will be the best for you and your child. Even though, you might see celebrities losing weight quickly, that’s because they have a good support system, and they have to look good to get back in the business quickly.
4} History of eating disorders
Pregorexia happens to ladies, who have suffered from a history of eating disorders, and it multiplies manifolds during pregnancy. This is due to a rush in the hormones.
5} It can cause miscarriages
When women don’t gain weight during pregnancy, it can become dangerous. It can lead to miscarriages or birth complications. When the women don’t eat properly, the baby might not get enough nutrients. The baby requires a lot of nutrients for growth inside the uterus.
Read More: 15 Miscarriage Foods To Avoid During Early Pregnancy
6} Being fit is not fad during pregnancy
Though, being fit is a very healthy thing, freaking out on fitness during pregnancy is not considered to be safe. Though, the ladies might have remained fit and active before pregnancy, they cannot avoid putting on weight during pregnancy.
7} Talking helps
A lot of women don’t feel comfortable talking about their eating disorders, and that makes it even more difficult for them to tackle with it. These ladies should consult the physicians, who can refer them to psychologists, psychiatrists or dieticians, who can help them remain healthy and strong. Being honest with the doctors will help them in finding a suitable remedy for their problem. With counselling, regular monitoring and with individual therapy, the ladies might be able to improve their self-esteem, and do well in their pregnancy term.
8} Media attention
Pregorexia has been hyped and publicized by the media, and is not actually a medical condition. This is because women have become so obsessed with their figures and bodies that they do severe dieting and exercising, and continue with purging and binging on food.
9} Signs to be aware of
Some of the usual signs of Pregorexia include extended workouts, restriction on calories, lower self-esteem, and the obsession for staying thin. If you are witnessing any of these signs, it is better to show to a doctor.
10} Addiction is a major threat
Some of the women face deeper risks due to addiction problems. Women, who have had a history of having a disordered eating habit, or a poor body image, will face problems. Also, ladies, who have been addicted to alcohol or drugs might also face eating disorder issues during pregnancy.
11} What do the statistics say?
As per statistics, almost 30 % of women do not gain enough weight during pregnancy. But, not all such women suffer from eating disorders. They might probably find it impossible to gain weight sometimes, and the baby might still be fine and healthy inside.
Pregorexia: What the future holds?
As per a lot of people, there is a great speculation that the eating disorder of pregorexia might turn into a common phenomenon amongst the pregnant ladies. This could be due to the pressure of bouncing back quickly, after having a child. A lot of magazines and tabloids publish articles regarding how the ladies have lost weight effectively after having a baby. So, this problem of eating disorders might be on the rise. But, the expectant ladies should know that the help is on hand, and they need not worry. The only worry that they should be taking, is about eating adequate and balanced food, and taking a good amount of rest.
Pregnancy is the time when the mother needs to think about herself and her child, and should stop worrying about her body weight. She should not go overboard in continuing with her diet and exercise, to remain thin. After all, it might lead to major repercussions, which might hamper the whole process of child birth. So, try to consult with a doctor, or a dietician, and have a proper and balanced diet. The point to remember is that you have to eat for two people, and not just for one. Eat well, and feed your baby well.
References
https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/eating-disorders/what-is-pregorexia/
https://www.sharecare.com/health/nutrition-and-pregnancy/what-is-pregorexia
