An increase in obesity in pregnant women has been branded as 'very disappointing' by a leading doctor.
A new study has found rising levels of obesity in pregnant women in Ireland since 2013 .
The findings show that the number of obese mothers increased from 17% to over 23% in 2022.
HSE National Clinical Lead for Obesity Professor Donal O'Shea told The Pat Kenny Show obesity can lead to more problems.
"It's very disappointing because we know that obesity is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes," he said.
"We know population obesity is levelling off but this study shows that obesity rates in Irish pregnant women have gone up from 17% to 24%/25% at a time when a lot of measures have been put in place to focus on that first 1,000 days.
"Your first 1,000 days actually determines your lifetime risk of health and illness".
'Lifetime risk' of obesity
Prof O’Shea said the results show Ireland is "not winning" when it comes to early risks.
"The child is more likely to have early weight problems, more likely to have long-term cardiovascular problems in early adulthood," he said.
"The mother is more likely to have high blood pressure [and] type 2 diabetes at an earlier age.
"The pregnancy itself is a real stress test of your lifetime risk of blood pressure and diabetes.
"If you can be fit and health going into pregnancy it's good for you, it's good for the baby".
'Impact on baby's health'
Prof O’Shea said there are also implications for the man.
"Increasingly we're aware now that the quality and health of the male sperm plays a part in that," he said.
"We used to always focus exclusively on the woman when we're talking about pregnancy health but actually it's increasingly clear that men with obesity have poorer sperm quality.
"That has an impact on the baby's health".
Prof O'Shea added that we are living in an "incredibly toxic environment that is encouraging weight gain in all of us."
