Maternal obesity in pregnancy Future health challenges

The rate of overweight or obesity has now reach the alarming threshold of more than 30 percent in women of child-bearing in most of the western societies, creating an unprecedented burden in every health care system. Health care professionals, scientists, nutritionists and dieticians must act rapidly to be able 1) reduce the direct health related consequences in the mother and the fetus and 2) understand the long term programming consequences that are predicted to affect the offspring born to overweight mothers. One first challenge, highlighted in the present review, will be to assess and define the influence of both pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain on maternal body composition and nutrient supply accessible to the growing fetus.