Imagine if we could improve children’s health even before they are born.
That is exactly the goal of the PRE-STORK study – to give future generations a healthier start by ensuring that their mothers are in better physical condition before pregnancy. Why?Because overweight and obesity don’t just affect individuals, but also have a significant impact on the health and future of our children. If we can help women lose weight before pregnancy, we not only improve their own health, but also reduce the risk of obesity and related diseases in their children.
By aiming to break the obesity curve for future generations, the methods and solutions become clearer. Weight loss programs, such as eight weeks with Nupo’s Total Diet Replacement, used in PRE-STORK, provide women with the necessary tools for lasting results.
Childhood obesity is a growing concern worldwide, and a new research project led by Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen aims to tackle the problem before it arises. The PRE-STORK study focuses on women with overweight or obesity who wish to become pregnant and examines how weight loss before pregnancy can impact both the women’s and their future children’s health.
The Link Between a Mother’s Weight and Her Child’s Health
Research has long shown a strong connection between a woman’s weight and her future child’s health. According to Professor Tina Vilsbøll, one of the researchers behind PRE-STORK, the mother’s overweight is one of the greatest indicators of whether a child will struggle with obesity later in life. The project therefore investigates whether it is possible to prevent obesity in children by reducing the mother’s weight before pregnancy.
How Does the PRE-STORK Study Work?
The study includes 180 women, half of whom participate in a structured weight loss program before attempting pregnancy, while the other half, the control group, continue without intervention. The women in the intervention group start with an eight-week low-calorie diet to kickstart their weight loss, with the goal of reducing body weight by 10-12%. This rapid weight loss phase requires support to ensure long-lasting results.
Here, Nupo’s Total Meal Replacement can be an ideal solution for women seeking rapid and safe weight loss under professional guidance. Nupo’s products are both practical and nutritious, making it easier to follow a low-calorie diet that supports weight loss during the critical first weeks.
From Weight Loss to Lifestyle Changes
After the initial eight weeks of low-calorie dieting, the women transition to a long-term program focused on lifestyle changes. They receive guidance on building healthy exercise habits and are assigned a mentor to support them along the way. This combined focus on diet and exercise is designed not only to help the women achieve a healthier weight but also to ensure that their new lifestyle is maintained in the long run.
Tina Vilsbøll explains: "The first eight weeks are tough but straightforward due to the highly restricted calories. The biggest challenge comes when the women return to a normal and healthy diet."
Ongoing supervision is essential, and the women are followed for six months before being encouraged to attempt pregnancy again.
Benefits for Both Mother and Child
The researchers hope that the long-term focus on weight loss and lifestyle changes will have a positive effect on both the mothers and their children. One hypothesis is that the women will experience easier pregnancies, fewer complications, and give birth to healthier children. So far, 40 babies have been born in the project, and 30 women are pregnant. The researchers closely monitor both the mothers and their children to examine any differences in the children’s body composition and heart function compared to the control group.
Preliminary observations show that babies born to women who have undergone the weight loss program have less body fat. The researchers hope that these children will have a lower BMI, better heart function, and an overall healthier start in life, potentially reducing the risk of obesity and lifestyle diseases later in life.
A Necessary Step Toward a Healthier Future
With the rising number of children struggling with obesity, it is more important than ever to find effective prevention strategies. Weight loss before pregnancy, as shown in the results of the PRE-STORK study, could be a crucial factor in breaking the obesity curve in future generations and thus improving public health.
A Total Diet Replacement can be a key tool in this process. It is designed to help women achieve weight loss in a safe and controlled manner by offering a structured approach to calorie intake through nutritionally complete meal replacements.
Sources:
Vilsbøll, Tina et al. "The Impact of Weight Loss Before Pregnancy on Maternal and Child Health: Insights from the PRE-STORK Study." Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, 2023.
Groundbreaking Research: 'We are Trying to Break the Obesity Curve in Children' | BT Health - www.bt.dk
World Health Organization (WHO). "Obesity and Overweight: A Global Epidemic." WHO, 2022. Available at: www.who.int.
