Doctors (and experience) have told us that eating for two during pregnancy leads to excess weight gain. But new research suggests there might be another (sneaky) reason why the extra calories consumed during those nine months have such a lasting impact on a woman's BMI.
Scientists have discovered that hormones released during pregnancy appear to grow the intestine, allowing it to absorb more energy from food than it normally would.
Using fruit flies, which have a similar metabolic response as humans, the team from the Medical Research Council’s Clinical Sciences Centre based at Imperial College London, were able to show that the growth in the intestine allowed the mother's body to store more fat during pregnancy.
The research is based around a 'juvenile hormone' in flies that is similar to the human thyroid, which secretes hormones regulating growth.
According to lead researcher Dr Irene Miguel-Aliaga:
"Previous studies have shown that eating for two during early pregnancy is unnecessary.
“Our research suggests that this is because the digestive system is already anticipating the demands that the growing baby will place upon our body.”
Co-author Dr Jake Jacobson added:
"Some women find it difficult to lose weight after pregnancy, and we may now have found a biological reason for this."
See? Those extra post-baby pounds were never your fault to begin with. Now if only they could discover a way to get rid of them without hitting the gym.
