ST. LOUIS (UPI) -- A U.S. doctor challenges the recommended guideline that obese women should gain 11-20 pounds during pregnancy. Dr. Raul Artal, chairman of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and women's health at Saint Louis University in Missouri advises overweight or obese mothers-to-be to eat a nutrient-rich diet of between 2,000-2,500 calories a day, and in some cases, to lose weight. He says overweight or obese women should not gain more than 10 pounds when pregnant. "Recommending a single standard of weight gain for all obese classes is of concern since higher body mass index levels are associated with more severe medical conditions and have long-term adverse health implications," Artal says in a statement. Artal writes in a commentary for Obstetrics & Gynecology, that he does not endorse recommendations made by the Institutes of Medicine in Washington -- an independent, non-profit organization that provides advice for health decision makers and the public. "The recently published Institutes of Medicine recommendations for gestational weight gain are virtually identical to those published in 1990 with one exception -- obese women are now recommended to gain 11-20 pounds compared to the previous recommendations of at least 15 pounds," Artal says.
Copyright 2010 by United Press International
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