Are expectant mothers getting heavier?

In an earlier post, I referred to a study that looked at women who gained weight between their first and second pregnancies. The study found that inter-pregnancy weight gain carries some health risks.

I tried to share this information with other mothers in an online forum but I was criticized for circulating falsified research findings. A woman's weight, my critics claimed, has no bearing whatsoever on the outcome of her pregnancy. The capacity of the human mind to believe anything is infinite.

I wonder whether these critics, who are quite possibly overweight, would dismiss just as blithely the recent report by researchers from UK-based North East Public Health Observatory which states that maternal obesity is on the rise. The research team consider this a "serious public health time bomb" and they want urgent action to be taken to stop it.

An article about the research explains why being overweight during pregnancy is a risk for both mother and baby. Obesity is a factor in 35% of maternal deaths.