Pregorexia: Pregnant Women Who Do Not Want To Gain Weight
The obsession with not gaining weight leads many women to eat poorly during pregnancy. This behavior is not only harmful to the mother’s health, but can cause serious problems for the future child. The Pregorexia It is a disorder in which the pregnant woman is obsessed with not gaining weight and tries to eat less to avoid gaining weight.
This disorder, despite not appearing in the DSM V or ICD-10, is a serious problem that some women face today.
the word Pregorexia It is born from the combination of the terms “pregnancy” (pregnancy in English) and anorexia. This term was initially coined in 2008 by the North American media and, although it is not exactly anorexia, it is also commonly called “anorexia of pregnancy”, since for many, its symptoms are included within this already existing pathology, which It is precisely anorexia.
The woman who suffers from Pregorexia try not to gain weight and stay slim when pregnantwhich causes their food intake to be below the healthy caloric and nutritional levels necessary for pregnancy. Furthermore, excessive concern about their figure and their fear of not gaining weight causes them to force vomiting and perform excessive physical exercise. Even putting your health and that of your child at risk.
The main cause of this disorder is social pressure that exists about aesthetic standards, and the excessive intoxication on the part of the media, which constantly bombards with advertisements about the “body 10”. It is common to find in magazines reports of famous women who stay in shape during pregnancy and after giving birth.
Pregnancy is a particularly delicate time to maintain your figure, as it is normal to gain a few “kilo pounds” during those months. Any mother’s priority should be the well-being of your future babysince this stage is especially important for its future development.
Obsession with image can cause serious dangers: there are many negative consequences that can appear during the pregnancy stage and during the future development of the child (malnutrition, bone decalcification, low breast milk production, hormonal alterations, dry, cracked and dehydrated, digestive and cardiovascular problems, intrauterine growth restriction, decreased amniotic fluid, premature birth or low birth weight). In addition, malnutrition can cause the death of the fetus.
Although 30 percent of women do not get enough nutrition during pregnancy, that does not mean that it is due to Pregorexia. In fact, only a minority of pregnant women are affected by this eating disorder.
Women who have suffered from an eating disorder in the past are at greater risk of suffering from Pregorexia
According to experts, women who have suffered from eating disorders in the past are more likely to suffer from Pregorexia. Despite this, having suffered from an eating disorder in the past is no guarantee of suffering from pregorexia during pregnancy. In fact, some women overcome the previous disorder and accept themselves as they are, even during the gestation period.
Symptoms of Pregorexia
Women who suffer from Pregorexia usually show a series of characteristic symptoms of the disorder. If you know someone who may be suffering from this eating disorder, it is necessary to seek help as soon as possible, because there is a risk of harmful consequences for the mother and the future baby. Below are the most characteristic symptoms that people with pregorexia present:
If someone you know or a family member suffers from an eating disorder while pregnant, it is important to seek help as soon as possible to reduce the risk of complications for the baby.
The usual thing is contact your GPbut he must refer the patient to a psychologist or psychiatrist so that the psychological and emotional problems that are the root of this disorder can be treated. Therapy can be individual, but it is also recommended that the person suffering from Pregorexia attend therapeutic support groupssince interaction with other women who suffer from eating disorders can be beneficial.
