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Roadblocks to motherhood

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI: Ringing the alarm bell for anorexia women wanting to become mothers, health experts have warned of an alarming increase in the number of women, especially in the metros, who in an effort to remain "fashionably thin'' have built roadblocks to motherhood.

A recent survey of metro women has indicated that 73 per cent of infertile women who were below ideal weight conceived spontaneously when their weight was corrected. Doctors also warn that being overweight has also been found to be equally injurious to conception.

Speaking about this latest report and the trend among metro women trying to conceive and stay "pencil-thin", fertility expert and consultant Archana Dhawan Bajaj says: "We are increasingly seeing women with severe eating disorders. While there is one group that is harming itself by eating very little, there is another group that is over-eating dangerously. Both the conditions are serious markers for failed conception.''

"Eating disorders are found to hinder the way to motherhood among women and especially prone to this are women living in metros. But what causes concern is the fact that most women are not aware about the ill effects of eating disorders and their relationship with infertility. Women are now being taught that body size is related to several gynaecological disorders and that higher risks of infertility have been found in both overweight and underweight women,'' adds Dr. Bajaj.

The survey also points to the fact that a large number of women who are unable to conceive and are then forced to resort to expensive fertility techniques can conceive simply by correcting their eating habits.

Experts also note that women who are able to conceive while suffering from anorexia seriously jeopardise their own health and the health of their unborn child.

Prof. Umesh Kapil of the Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here says: "The trend is definitely noticeable and we like to put these women under extreme cases. The trend is now very visible among the urban elite. Women with eating disorders who conceive put enormous strain on their body, seriously depleting the anorexic mothers' scant reserves, making them prone to extreme exhaustion, depression and malnourishment. Women with eating disorders have a higher rate of miscarriage and other related problems and an increased risk of giving birth to low weight babies.''

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