The Importance of Pregorexia Awareness

Abstract

Pregorexia is a condition describing women who reduce energy intake and increase exercising during pregnancy to control weight gain. Although pregorexia is not formally recognized as a medical diagnosis, the term may be considered as an eating disorder in pregnancy. Because in pregorexia as in eating disorder behaviors such as the fear of weight gain and the worry about body appearance is observed. The abnormal weight gain in pregnant women may cause adverse obstetric and fetal outcomes. Eating disorders in pregnancy may cause serious problems for both mother and infant, such as infants of small for gestational age, spontaneous abortion, microcephaly, low birth weight babies, maternal hypertension and anemia. This review aims to increase awareness about eating disorders in pregnancy, particularly pregorexia.