Pregnancy (pregorexia) is an eating disorder that affects pregnant women. The Pre-Gorex is afraid that she will get fat during pregnancy, so taking care of the perfect figure prioritizes the he althy development of the child, not taking into account the dire consequences. And anorexia during pregnancy can lead to physical and mental impairment of the baby, and even to miscarriage or death of the fetus. What are the causes of pregorexia? How to recognize the symptoms of pregnorexia? What is its treatment?
Pregnancy , otherwiseanorexia in pregnancylubpregorexia(from pregnancy - pregnancy and Latin anorexia - anorexia) is aneating disorder , the essence of which is starvation and / or inducing vomiting during pregnancy. The Pre-Gore is concerned about the natural effects of pregnancy - weight gain, hip rounding, belly enlargement and fuller breasts - because, in her opinion, they spoil her figure. As a result, she strives to look as if she wasn't in her pregnancy during pregnancy. To this end, she uses restrictive diets and exercises intensively, thus prioritizing taking care of a perfect figure over he althy development of the child.
Pregnancy (pregorexia) is not officially recognized as a separate disease entity. Pregnant women who refuse to eat or induce vomiting are considered to be anorexic or bulimic. However, doctors are increasingly using this term as the number of women who lose weight during pregnancy increases dangerously. According to British scientists, already one in twenty pregnant women struggle withpregnant eating disorder . Therefore, in the future, pregorexia will certainly be included in the list of diseases.
Pregnancy (pregorexia) - causes and risk factors
The causes of pregnorexia, like anorexia and bulimia, are very complex. It is believed that women with low self-esteem are at risk of pregorexia, which may lead to a deepening lack of acceptance of their body and disturbances in its perception. These are usually women who experienced a trauma in their childhood. Past negative experiences often cause many illnesses in adulthood (including mental disorders), and pregnancy can be a stimulus that reminds you oftraumatic event and initiates the disease. As a result, not only women who have suffered from eating disorders in the past, but also those who have never had a mental problem with eating, are at risk of developing pregnorexia.
The indirect cause of pregorexia is certainly the contemporary media, which creates the image of pregnant stars with an sometimes surprisingly slim figure and slightly rounded belly (an example is Nicole Kidman, who was suspected of having pregorexia during pregnancy). Thus, they argue that a woman should strive for a perfectly slim body also during pregnancy.
Some people suspect that the cause of the disease may also be the reluctance to have a child.
Pregnancy (pregorexia) - symptoms
A woman suffering from pregnancyorexia:
- eats low-calorie foods, and also in small amounts. This is often explained by a lack of appetite and nausea;
- exercises - often quite intensively;
- constantly controls her weight - a pregnant woman often sets herself certain goals, e.g. to gain weight during pregnancy only a few kilograms or to fit in pants from before pregnancy;
- provokes vomiting after meals to get rid of food, which explains pregnancy;
However, the worst part is that the pregorexic woman often uses diuretics and laxatives, which can cause a miscarriage or lead to a physical or mental underdevelopment of the baby.
ImportantPregnancy - dangerous consequences
Anemia, hypertension, weakness, hair loss, and even depression in a pregnant woman are just a few of the more dangerous consequences of using a restrictive diet during pregnancy. The result of losing weight in this particular state may also be osteoporosis in the mother-to-be. On the other hand, breastfeeding problems often arise after childbirth, but the most dangerous consequences are for the baby. It can be born prematurely or weigh too lightly. Malnutrition in pregnancy can also result in physical development disorders and mental retardation of the baby. It may also cause a miscarriage or death of the fetus.
Pregnancy (pregorexia) - treatment
Due to the fact that pregorexia is not yet a separate disease entity, the treatment of this condition is similar to that in the case of anorexia, i.e. psychological help is required (preferably in cooperation with the doctor in charge of the pregnancy). Unfortunately, the pregnant woman does not see her problem and, in addition, cannot be forced to undergo treatment, which may lead to a tragedy. That is why the support of relatives is so important.
It happened to youusefulWhat is the daily energy requirement of a pregnant woman?
According to the World He alth Organization, the need for extra energy in pregnancy is only 300 kcal per day. This is what a bowl of yoghurt with muesli or a sandwich with cold cuts provides. At the end of pregnancy, the daily energy requirement is about 2800-3000 kcal.
Pregnancy - how much can you gain weight during pregnancy?
It is assumed that a pregnant woman should gain 8-11 kg. However, if very slim women with a low BMI gain even 16 kg, this will also be considered the norm. Women with a carcass should be careful about weight gain during pregnancy, whose correct weight before delivery may indicate max. 10 kg more.
Pregnancy - why women lose weight when pregnant?
Source: x-news.pl/Dzień Dobry TVN