Pregnant Obese Women Told to Gain No Weight

The changing tides of pregnancy and weight research have yielded a novel program that hopes to produce healthy moms and babies: the no-weight gain pregnancy for obese women. A 4-year study will provide expectant mothers with dietary support to keep extra pounds to zero, or at least under 3% of starting body weight. Researchers think deliveries may be smoother and produce healthier babies—and obese moms may learn a thing or two.

“Pregnancy is what we call a teachable moment,” a researcher tells the New York Times, a time to encourage healthier practices that could last far past delivery. And contrary to popular belief, many experts say women require only a few hundred extra calories a day during gestation. But the approach worries some, who think eating less could harm the development of the fetus somehow. (More pregnancy stories.)