Preface

The obesity pandemic has spread to every part of the globe, and women ofreproductive age are not immune. Obese women have reduced fertility, but whenthey do become pregnant, the subsequent adverse effects accrue to both motherand child.

The obese mother may develop pregnancy complications such as gestationaldiabetes, she may present challenges to obstetric care, and especially if shegains excessive amounts of weight during pregnancy, may develop ever-increasingweight and its sequelae over her lifetime. Should she become pregnant again, thepattern is repeated. Her offspring have an increased risk of becoming obesethemselves. If the offspring is female, she is likely to enter her own pregnancyat increased weight, thereby spawning an intergenerational vicious cycle ofobesity and its complications. Interrupting these cycles is of utmost publichealth importance.

Maternal Obesity will take you through the evidence underlyingthese concepts. We have divided the book into i ve sections, starting withtrends and determinants of obesity in women of reproductive age. h e next twosections appraise the evidence for short- and long-term outcomes in both motherand child. h e chapters in these sections include animal and human data, andthey range from the basic science of adipose tissue to long-term epidemiologicobservations. h e fourth section reviews the burgeoning literature oninterventions to reduce the complications associated with maternal obesity. h ei nal section contains chapters on clinical management and public healthpolicy.