Worth the weight?

Increasing numbers of British women are dieting during pregnancy, putting their children at risk of serious illness in later life, according to this article by Anita Chaudhuri. According to a study by Barker et al. for the Medical Research Council (MRC), pregnant women in Britain are dieting like never before, and the health implications are alarming. The findings indicated that four out of ten women eat a diet that is likely to deprive a child of essential nutrients.