Terrified of losing their toned figures, young Indian women are shunning nutrition during pregnancy, say worried gynaecologists
"Psycho obsessive" is the phrase Juhu-based graphic designer Ria Mehta (name changed) uses to describe her attitude towards her weight while she was pregnant with her first child six years ago. Always weight-conscious, she couldn't help but watch what she ate and drank even while carrying her baby. She says, "For the first five months, my biggest concern was the weight I'd pile up. I'd deliberately eat less." The doctor's warnings went unheard, and it was only when even at six months, her bump was hardly showing that panic struck. "My doctor scolded me like I was a little girl. He sat me down and explained the growth retardation my baby would suffer. That's when it hit me that I was being unfair to my child," says the 35-year-old. Fortunately, for Mehta, her baby girl turned out healthy. "I think that one glass of milk my mother-in-law insisted I drink every morning saw me through," she says. However, cases like Mehta's are far from rare, says obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Kiran Coelho. "It's shocking how poorly nourished some women who consult me are, and it's all because they want to remain slim. When mothers warn their teenage daughters, 'eat well or you'll have problems later', they are absolutely right," she warns. Read More
