According to the findings of a new study by the researchers at the University of Illinois, it is advisable for obese women to reduce their weight prior to getting pregnant, so as to bring down the risk of future health problems for their children.

The new maternal and newborn health study has found that chances of future health problems for the infants is high even if their obese mothers stick to a healthy diet during the course of their pregnancy.

Noting that the researchers have observed “fat sequestered in the placentas of obese mothers when it should be going to the baby to support its growth,” Professor Yuan-Xiang Pan - professor of nutrition at the University – said that even a healthy diet consumed by overweight pregnant cannot reduce the chances of their babies developing in an unhealthy environment.

As per Pan, the reason behind this what can be termed as the ‘obesogenic’ environment of the mother, which chiefly comprises increased triglycerides, high levels of the leptin hormone, and significant amounts of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) circulating in the body of the obese pregnant women.

Noting that even though the obese and normal-weight pregnant women may be eating the same healthy diet, the nutrient supply region in the obese mother’s placenta is half the size of that of a normal-weight mother, Pan said: "My advice is, lose weight well before you become pregnant.”