More people are overweight in the United States today than ever before. More than 2 out of every 3 adults are overweight or obese. And more than half of women in their childbearing years (ages 12-44) are overweight or obese.
How much weight the mother gains (or not) over a pregnancy is important for the mother’s health, the baby’s health, and for the success of another pregnancy down the road. It can also have lasting effects for the baby, such as becoming overweight or obese during childhood or being at risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease later in life.
Committee on Dissemination of the IOM Pregnancy Weight Guidelines created this toolkit of outreach products to help women plan for healthy weight gain and to give providers tools to help pregnant women achieve their weight gain goals.