The Importance of Social Support When Losing Weight After Pregnancy

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by Kristine Bowman

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Many mums want to lose weight after giving birth for various reasons, from prioritising health and well-being to cosmetic purposes. Research from 2021 shows that many overweight postnatal women seek post-pregnancy weight loss. Specifically, these women want support and are interested in implementing weight loss strategies. Unfortunately, many intensive weight loss programmes cannot be offered to all postnatal women.

Today, there is a rising prevalence of obesity in women. Combined with the excess weight gain during pregnancy, there are now more obese women in the postnatal period. Studies have shown this can have adverse health outcomes for women in later life and increase health risks during subsequent pregnancies.

Fortunately, survey results indicate that the time after giving birth is generally viewed as a good opportunity to consider changes to lifestyle behaviours. Weight loss strategies like increasing physical activity are also known to improve mental health, especially for cases of postnatal depression. Meanwhile, weight loss is also associated with improved mood and body image. Still, as mentioned above, social support plays a significant role in helping lose weight post-pregnancy. Below, we’ll take a closer look at what makes post-natal weight loss so difficult and how social support helps mums overcome these hurdles:

What makes post-natal weight loss so difficult?

It’s common knowledge that a woman’s body changes drastically during and after pregnancy. Some of these may include pregnancy lines, which we discussed in a previous post on the linea nigra. This dark line appears on the abdomen, stretching from the belly button to the pubic area. This line often occurs during the second trimester. It remains throughout the rest of the pregnancy and is one of many cosmetic changes the body may experience during the pregnancy process.

However, while pregnancy lines do disappear after giving birth, some things are more likely to stick without intervention. A study on postpartum weight retention highlights how it has become a strong predictor of obesity in later life, along with long-term health consequences in women. This is associated with suboptimal lifestyle behaviours post-pregnancy, such as diet and physical activity. Global data indicates that among women, the prevalence of being overweight or obese was 39% and 15%, respectively, in 2016, compared to around 23% and 6% in 1975.

Postpartum weight retention also predisposes women to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and some cancers. Aside from being a critical health risk, this also becomes a significant economic burden as women are subjected to increased healthcare costs, reduced productivity, and increased disabilities, among other consequences. Postpartum weight retention also contributes to adverse outcomes in subsequent pregnancies, including caesarean section, stillbirth, and preeclampsia.

For women around the world, there are various factors contributing to postpartum weight retention, one of which is lifestyle behaviour. Fortunately, postpartum lifestyle interventions have demonstrated efficacy in weight and lifestyle management.

Research over the years has shown that having a support system can positively benefit the weight loss process. Working out with friends, family, and other loved ones, for example, can help create a sense of mutual accountability, keeping everyone motivated along the way.

Nowadays, you can simply search for weight loss groups near you to find like-minded weight loss communities to connect with and keep yourself accountable. Busy new mums, for example, can benefit from virtual workshops if in-person meetings are inaccessible or too physically demanding. These virtual workshops provide expert coaching and an opportunity to meet and connect with people to share weight loss tips and insights.

Changing your lifestyle behaviours is a great way to lose weight healthily, and interventions like exercise as a social activity have been proven to improve quality of life. A report from the Sport and Recreation Alliance showed that dance and physical activity are crucial for improving social interactions and boosting health for individuals and communities. As such, many physical activity programmes are expected to include social interaction and community, joining exercise with recreation for improved health and body outcomes.

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The Importance of Social Support When Losing Weight After Pregnancy

by Kristine Bowman

123 shares

What makes post-natal weight loss so difficult?

How social support helps overcome these hurdles

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