Study shows new moms are under a lot of pressure to shed the pounds

Mar 19, 2009 18:31 GMT  ·  By
Young mothers are under a lot of pressure to lose the pregnancy weight, new poll shows
   Young mothers are under a lot of pressure to lose the pregnancy weight, new poll shows

Getting back into shape after having a child can be one of the most difficult challenges a woman has to face in terms of her weight and body image. Public scrutiny and peer pressure act together to push the new mom into thinking that she also has to do it fast and, of course, healthy. Despite the many cases of celebrities who lost the baby weight in as little as ten days, the average woman needs about 10 months to get her pre-baby body back, figures from a new poll come to indicate.

The pressure in the first months after childbirth regarding the mom’s weight can be a terrible thing, the research reveals. An altered body image and feelings of low self-esteem are just two of the things that ruin the mother’s life in the months following birth, and that can even push her into skipping meals or going on a strict diet (Atkins or cabbage soup diet) to lose the extra weight. Few are the women who remember to focus on their new life as moms and their health, figures reveal.

Speaking of which, unlike celebrities, the average woman needs much longer to lose the pregnancy weight. “Apprentice” star Katie Hopkins, for instance, lost the weight after her third child over an amazingly short period of just ten days.

Nicole Kidman took a bit longer to do so, but she still did better than the average woman, meaning only a couple of months. Many believe stars are cheating when they lose that much weight in so little time, but that does not change the fact that young moms feel pressured into doing the same, the research shows.

“The pressure young mums are under to lose weight is ridiculous. After having a child, your body needs time to adjust and it’s not wise to go headlong in to a strict diet and an exercise regime – especially when feeding a newborn. Even when your child or children are a bit older, there are no rules that say you should shrink to the same size as you were before having children as long as you aim for healthy body weight. Having a family means being sensible and educating each other about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.” television personality and nutritionist Amanda Ursell says for the Daily Mail as regards the findings of the poll.

The same poll, conducted on the occasion of a campaign for mothers’ healthy eating, has revealed that women will often go to any lengths to lose the weight, thus putting themselves and their newborn babies at risk. Of the 3,000 queried moms, 16 percent admitted to feeling extremely conscious about their body after birth, 36 percent shared that they would skip a meal or two to lose weight, 19 percent went on a diet, while 25 percent added they avoided family meals to steer clear of temptation.

Similarly, over 50 percent of all queried mothers confessed feeling pressure to lose the pregnancy weight immediately after giving birth, while 45 percent pointed out the pressure came from within, as in, it was them who really wanted to be slim again.