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Unlike Celebrities, New Mums Struggle for Years to Shed Baby Weight

by VR Sreeraman on Mar 21 2009 3:45 PM

Celebrity mums might boast of getting into the super-slim frame within weeks of giving birth, but an ordinary new mum seems not too interested in emulating them.

A new study has revealed that an average new mother takes nearly 10 months to get back to her shape before pregnancy. Some even take up to three years to do so.

Despite forcing themselves exercise regimes and daily diet plan, a third of all mothers never lose their baby weight at all.

Experts said that pictures of A-list mothers, such as Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie, looking slim only weeks after giving birth put enormous pressure on women.

The survey involving 3,000 mothers revealed that despite refusing to let the pressure go to head, 90 per cent of them felt inadequate when compared to super-skinny celebrities.

More than half felt external pressure to slim straight away, while the rest said that they put pressure on themselves.

The survey showed that more than 80 per cent believed celebrities had an unfair advantage when it came to getting back in shape, with nannies, trainers and dieticians on hand to help them.

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Eighteen per cent believed that their rich and famous counterparts get a little extra help from plastic surgery.

"The pressure that new mums are under to lose weight is ridiculous," the Daily Express quoted Television presenter and nutritionist Amanda Ursell as saying.

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"After having a child, your body needs time to adjust and it's not wise to go headlong into a strict diet and exercise regime - especially when you're breastfeeding a newborn baby.

"Even when your children are a bit older there are no rules that say you have to shrink back to the same size you were before having children. What's important is that you aim for healthy body weight," she added.

The report, by restaurant chain Toby Carvery, revealed that while celebrity mothers get back to shape within weeks, an ordinary mother prefers staying away from dieting for at least five months. And most avoid taking up an exercise regime for another two months after that.

Source-ANI
SRM


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