Post-pregnancy weight gain is mostly likely due to the stressors of new parenthood and its impact on physical activity, according to a study from Georgia Health Sciences University.
Researchers studied 60 new moms, and discovered several commonalities regarding excessive postpartum body mass index (BMI) – that is, weight in relation to height. Most overweight new moms typically had one or more of the following precursors: high BMI prior to pregnancy, sedentary lifestyle, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and parenting stress.
The study measured parental stress by asking participants to rate statements such as ‘I feel like I have less time to myself’ and ‘I enjoy being a parent.’ They were also asked to recall their physical activity over the previous 24 hours, categorizing that activity from light to vigorous.
“Sedentary lifestyle, or a low amount of physical activity, was most influenced by the type of parenting stress the mothers reported,” says Dr. Deborah Young-Hyman, behavioral psychologist with the Georgia Prevention Institute. “More parenting stress, especially depression, was associated with less physical activity and a higher postpartum BMI.”
Those with lower BMIs reported more physical activity and less depressive symptoms.
“We know that physical activity improves your mood and helps you lose weight, but no one has ever asked how physical activity is related to parenting stress in first-time moms,” Young-Hyman said.
Interestingly, social interaction is considered a healthy activity, however the new mothers were typically talk on the phone, watching TV, or hanging out, instead of taking their babies out for a walk together.
Based on a current study, researchers are planning to develop an intervention to help new moms create healthy lifestyles for both themselves and their babies – to help preventing overweight mothers and children.