Allowing yourself to be overweight while pregnant is ‘criminal’, says Dr Eva Orsmond

Allowing yourself to be overweight while expecting a child is "criminal," Dr Eva Orsmond has said.

Obesity in pregnancy is putting lives at risk and putting a strain on our healthcare system, according to the broadcaster and weight loss expert. Dr Eva claims that a fifth of pregnant women in Ireland are overweight or obese. "Women who allow themselves to be overweight or obese when pregnant is criminal and is putting their lives and the life of their baby to be put in danger due to serious health complications when in labour," she told BreakingNews.ie. "Babies being born to overweight mothers has massive implications for their future health and also places a heavy burden on medical staff and health systems. "Research in Ireland by medics has found that one in five pregnant women are overweight or obese which is extremely worrying. "Young Irish women just don’t seem to realise they are affecting the future health of our nation." She cited a number of issues that can arise from weight issues in pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, gestational diabetes and even miscarriage and stillbirth. Expectant mothers who overeat are also putting their child at risk of a lifetime of eating and weight issues, she said. "An obese baby is more likely to become an obese child to becoming an obese adult and is an accumulation of disadvantage," Dr Eva said. A study of 38,000 births at Dublin's Coombe Maternity Hospital found that the number of severely obese women giving birth there increased by 48.5 per cent between 2009 and 2013. The same research showed that obese first-time mums were almost three times as likely to have an unplanned premature birth as the general rate.