Eating Disorders Blog

The Victorian, a premier eating disorder treatment facility located in Newport Beach, California, released a statement this month about an emerging form of disordered eating which has been dubbed by the media as pregorexia. Pregorexics are expectant mothers who attempt to emulate the well-publicized habits of well-known Hollywood women who have recently gone through pregnancy while gaining little or no weight, and then lost any excess weight within weeks of childbirth.

Treatment providers at The Victorian report a recent increase in the number of pregorexic cases that they are seeing. Experts agree that a moderate amount of safe exercise during pregnancy can have beneficial effects for the mother, but prolonged or intense exercise and inadequate caloric intake can have severe consequences for the unborn child.

Traditionally, doctors recommend a weight-gain of 25-35 pounds for expectant mothers; however, among younger generations of expectant mothers, gaining this much weight during pregnancy is regarded with suspicion. In a society that seems to inordinately prize thinness, some women and unborn babies are falling prey to societal pressures.

What are the warning signs? An expectant mom may be pregorexic if she: loses more than 5 pounds during the first trimester; starts a new exercise regimen upon finding out she is pregnant; or starts a new, more restrictive eating pattern after finding out she is pregnant. (Source: PR Newswire)

Posted By: Vee