Healthy for You, Healthy for 2
Year 1 Progress Report

Program Mission

The Healthy for You, Healthy for 2 Program is a unique clinical program in the Center of Lifestyle Medicine linked to the Northwestern Comprehensive Center on Obesity (NCCO).  The multidisciplinary program provides pregnant women with individual and group support with a goal of optimizing nutrition, physical activity and weight management during pregnancy. Our dedicated program staff strives to improve overall health for the mother and the unborn child by promoting optimal weight gain and lifestyle balance during pregnancy.

1^st Year Progress Summary

Thank you for your interest and support during the first year of operation.  Your patient referrals have allowed the program to grow, adapt and fulfill its mission of improving patterns of weight gain during pregnancy.

Observed Program Data 

• 102 subjects referred and screened
• 47 participants enrolled, 5 pending, 55 declined/ineligible
• In participants with a BMI of 26-34.9, median gestational weight gain stayed within recommended range
• In participants with a BMI of 35 and higher, median gestational weight gain exceeded recommended weight gain by an average of 3.5 pounds.
• To date, pregnancy outcome data have been collected and are ready to be analyzed from 31 deliveries at NMH

2^nd Year Goals

The program continues to strive to increase small group involvement.  We plan to strengthen participant commitment by providing printed handbooks, implementing signed patient agreements and increasing contact between staff and participants through the use of a once monthly email newsletter.  Women who gain more than the recommended amount will now have the opportunity to receive additional individual counseling with a dietitian, exercise specialist, or psychologist, as indicated.

We will soon be seeking IRB approval for data collection and analysis for this project.  Data analyses will focus on weight gain during pregnancy, as well as pregnancy complications and outcomes, including the incidence of gestational diabetes, operative delivery and large for gestational age infants. In the future we also plan to launch randomized control trials addressing the issue of obesity in pregnancy.  We anticipate that IRB proposals such as these will attract external funding, which will sustain the clinical program and allow for evaluation of longer term outcomes such as the effect of weight management during pregnancy on postpartum weight retention and obesity in the offspring.

Conclusion

The sustainability of our program depends on continued physician referrals. With your continued support, we look forward to another year of assisting pregnant women to make healthier lifestyle choices for themselves as well as their families.