Obesity increases chances of birth defects

Researchers at the University of Texas studied over 15,000 new mothers over a five-year period. The results showed that women who are obese when they conceive are more likely to have babies with birth defects than are mothers of normal weight. "The relevant birth defects include missing limbs and malformed hearts. Smaller scale studies in the past have suggested this link, but this is said to be the largest and most comprehensive study to date. University of Texas researchers interviewed more than 15,000 new mothers over a five-year period. The study appears in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Obese women are more likely to have chronic diseases, fertility problems, miscarriages and complications during pregnancy." Once again, losing weight can not only benefit your own health, but the health of the rest of your family too. Source: BBC Health News