I just finished my Tuesday morning ritual of perusing the Science section in the Tuesday New York Times, and came across two articles that may be of particular interest to Lunch Tray readers.
First, as a follow-up to my previous post on worrying about BPA, here’s an extensive survey of the current state of the science. Bottom line – it’s inconclusive. I suppose that might make you feel better or worse, depending on your pre-existing view of BPA, but all I could think is, why can’t the U.S. take the approach that Europe does with respect to these issues? Specifically,
[e]nvironmentalists think the United States should adopt the “precautionary principle,” a better-safe-than-sorry approach favored in the European Union. The principle says, in essence, that if there are plausible health concerns about a chemical, even if they are not proved, people should not be exposed to it until studies show it is safe. The United States takes the opposite approach: chemicals are not banned unless there is proof of harm.
Doesn’t the U.S. approach turn us all into lab rats for the chemical industry?
Second, Jane Brody’s column today describes how a mother’s excessive weight gain in pregnancy burdens her child with a lifelong propensity for obesity and its associated diseases. Given the prevalence of obesity among our general population, this means that we’re locked in a vicious cycle of overweight mothers giving birth to children likely to grow up to be overweight as well.
It’s hard enough to maintain a healthy body weight in today’s environment of cheap, processed food and little physical activity. It’s all the more depressing to think of so many children starting out their lives with a built-in disadvantage in this struggle.
Anna says
I’ve read the Jane Brody article three times now and am compelled to respond. I gained between 40 and 50 lbs with each of three pregnancies. I maintain a bmi of 22-23, so by these guidelines, I was over anywhere from 15 – 25 lbs. My babies were BIG, both boys 10 lbs 3 ozs and girl, 8 lbs 4 ozs. I did not have gestational diabetes and my kids are on the low end of the growth charts for weight. Each baby grew during their first year, but leveled off by 12 mos. While this article says these guidelines are new, they seem very similar to those that tormented me through my first two pregnancies (by the third, I realized this was my personal, healthy pattern). I agree that there are healthy weight ranges for pregnancy, but these feel unrealistic for most women. I’ve seen many a woman gain upwards of 70 lbs and end up with a 6 – 7 lb baby. Indeed not healthy for her, but without the implied consequence for the baby, at least at birth.
Pregnant women are bombarded with all kinds of blame laden limits and warnings that tie maternal behavior to negative consequences for their children. I ate a (mostly) healthy, but hearty diet, including moderate indulgences that are on every taboo list. While indeed a mother’s health, including weight gain, should be monitored closely with her doctor or midwife, I’m leary of the implication that a weight gain of more than 40 lbs during pregancy will consign your child to a life of fighting the perils of obesity.
bettina elias siegel says
Anna: OMG. Here I am posting the Brody article, but I never once applied it to myself or my children — even though I, too, gained 50 lbs for each of my pregnancies (which on me is huge, because I’m a pretty small person). My first doctor was fine with it, but the second seemed alarmed. I really wasn’t worried, though, because by then I saw that the weight gain was simply what my body does during pregnancy. E.g., in the first I was sedentary (still working as a lawyer) and eating everything in sight, in the second I was home chasing a toddler and ate far less, but the weight gain was the same. And I, too, see no signs that it had any adverse effect on my kids, who are in the 25th-50th percentile for weight. But clearly there’s something here — the data seem pretty clear. I wonder if they’ve accounted for other factors. E.g., if a woman is starting out obese and then gains more than the recommended weight during pregnancy, is she also not more likely to be feeding her own child in a way that predisposes the child to obesity? Clearly more info is needed. I’ll see what I can find. – Bettina
Anna says
Bettina, I agree that the concern is legitimate. I mainly take issue with the perameters they set. Thanks! Anna