Bex in Moz

Women's trouble

You may have caught my previous rant about the Guardian article on research showing that a small permanent weight gain during pregnancy – even if you are not overweight as a result – can make it harder to conceive the next time, and how I felt that it was not a helpful addition to the already guilt-ridden areas of weight and fertility in the female psyche. A couple of days ago I read that women who are underweight have a greater chance of miscarrying. I understand that the intentions of the researchers are to help women who have suffered from miscarriages understand why and try to avoid it happening again, and I believe it was a totally valid article. The article went on to list a number of factors that increase or reduce the chances of miscarriage. What bothers me is that the headline of the article was about being underweight. Why is it that discussions about female health and wellbeing are so often dominated by weight? The headline could have run: Eating fruit and veg daily considerably reduces the chances of miscarriage. A more positive message, and a more neutral one when dealing with these heavily laden issues.

I will not go on, but I would also like to draw your attention to a continuing theme in the blog: daily consumption of chocolate (they do not specify what variety) also reduces the incidence of miscarriage. Ladies, eating chocolate is good for you. And it may just help you avoid being underweight too.

posted by Rebecca @ 10:05 am