Lose weight to lower baby’s risk of heart problems

Obese women are more likely to give birth to babies with congenital heart defects, a study has shown, which could provide women with more motivation to lose weight quickly.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in America and the New York state Department of Health revealed that, on average, obese women have a 15 per cent increased chance of having a baby with a heart defect than those who are of a normal weight.

This risk increases the more obese the woman is, with moderately obese women being 11 per cent more likely to have a child with heart problems, rising to 33 per cent for women who are morbidly obese.

“The current findings strongly suggest that by losing weight before they become pregnant, obese women may reduce the chances that their infants will be born with heart defects,” said Dr Alan Guttmacher, of the NIH institute that conducted the study.

According to the NHS, obesity can shorten life expectancy by six to seven years. It recommends regular exercise, which can be as simple as walking to work instead of going in the car, and eating a healthy diet as the best methods of overcoming obesity.

What is your main motivation for losing weight?