Question

Jessica is 5’11” and weighed 230 pounds prior to pregnancy. She is now 19 weeks pregnant and she now weighs 235 pounds. Jessica has been suffering from nausea since she has been pregnant and she finds it difficult to exercise. It makes her feel better to eat starchy foods, so her diet is not very balanced with fruits and vegetables. So far, all of her biochemical values are normal (blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, etc.).

Question:

1. What was Jessica’s pre-pregnancy BMI? Did she enter pregnancy overweight?
2. What is the target weight gain recommendation for Jessica, according to the IOM?
3. List the unfavorable metabolic changes and complications associated with obesity.
4. Describe nutritional and lifestyle recommendations for obese pregnant women and explain how Jessica should try to manage her weight during pregnancy.
5. Describe ways to manage nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy.
6. Explain why Jessica should try to gain weight within the recommendations. Specifically, what could be some possible outcomes for her and her baby if she gains excessive weight during pregnancy?
7. Given the fact that Jessica has a difficult time exercising and eating right due to the nausea, what are some recommendations you could give her to help manage her weight and help her to feel better?

Answer 1

#. Weight - 230lbs prior to pregnancy = 104.326kg

Height -5'11" = 1.803m

BMI = weight in kg / (height in m) square

= 104.3kg/ 1.80× 1.80msquare

= 32.19kg /m square( pre pregnancy BMI )

#. Yes she enters pregnancy overweight and also is at class 1 obesity category

#. IOM recommendation for weight gain is 5–9.1 kg (11–20 lb) for all obese women.

#. The metabolic complications of obesity, often referred to as the metabolic syndrome, consist of insulin resistance, often culminating in β-cell failure, impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and premature heart disease.