ABU DHABI // Women who put on excessive weight during pregnancy are four times more likely to be overweight 20 years later, a study has found.
Doctors say the problem is more acute in the UAE, where the culture encourages women to over-eat during pregnancy, and to have large families. Dr Abdullah al Mamun, a public health researcher at the University of Queensland, found weight gain during pregnancy has a "profound and long-lasting impact on future obesity".
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tracked the weight of more than 2,000 women who gave birth between 1981 and 1983 in Brisbane, Australia. One in three put on excessive weight in pregnancy.
Two decades later, they were on average more than 20kg heavier than those who put on less.
Dr Kiran Mehndiratta, a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist at the New Medical Centre Speciality Hospital in Abu Dhabi, said the ideal weight gain for a pregnant woman of normal body weight is between 10kg and 12kg.
"For women who are overweight, we advise them right from the start to control their carbohydrates and fat intake," she said.
Overweight or obese women should not gain more than six to eight kilogrammes during their pregnancy, she said.
Dr Gowri Ramanathan, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi, said women must be more aware of health issues. "The belief that a pregnant woman has to eat for two is unfounded, unfortunately," she said.
"It will only increase a mother's risk of diabetes during pregnancy, which then increases her risk of type 2 diabetes later in life."
Few women manage to regain their pre-pregnancy figures, with most gaining a few kilos with each pregnancy, she said. The problem was exacerbated in the UAE by the tradition for large families.
"A few years down the line, these women are now obese and at risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and so on."
Culture also demanded an increase in sweets, honey and sugar during breast feeding, with mothers believing that the sugar intake will increase the production of breast milk. "That is also unfounded," said Dr Ramanathan, who is also a foetal medicine specialist. "There is no evidence for this. A breastfeeding mother needs no more than an extra 500 calories a day."
A pregnant women, she said, needs a maximum of 150 extra calories a day in the first three months of pregnancy - the equivalent of two biscuits. Towards the end of pregnancy, 200 extra calories is the maximum. "We are strict with what our expectant mothers eat and what they should avoid," said Dr Ramanathan.
Eating in response to cravings is discouraged. Dr Mehndiratta said that the problem sometimes lay with the husband and his family.
"Pregnant women are pampered by their families and even forced to eat, and often not the right kind of food and not in the right proportion," she said.
"I had a patient who ate one litre of ice cream a day to satisfy her cravings, resulting in gestational diabetes."
Dr Mehndiratta warned against traditional beliefs, including one where a mother who does not satisfy her cravings gives birth to a baby with a birthmark in the shape of the food she craved.
Another concern with increased calorie intake was the baby's size. "If the baby is too big, it leads to delivery complications, labour problems, haemorrhaging after delivery, and more need for a Caesarean section," she said.
"The mother's entire well-being, and her baby's, is related to controlled weight gain."
hkhalaf@thenational.ae
Persuasion
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
RACECARD%20
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company%20Profile
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
The%20specs
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Draw
Quarter-finals
Real Madrid (ESP) or Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) or Lyon (FRA)
RB Leipzig (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Barcelona (ESP) or Napoli (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER) or Chelsea (ENG)
Atalanta (ITA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Ties to be played August 12-15 in Lisbon
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
Company%20Profile
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'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
RESULTS
Mumbai Indians 181-4 (20 ovs)
Kolkata Knight Riders 168-6 (20ovs)
Mumbai won by 13 runs
Rajasthan Royals 152-9 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 155-4 (18.4 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab won by 6 wickets