Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

When women have access to healthy food choices, they can reduce the risk of diseases related to obesity not only for themselves, but also for their children and future generations. When women do not lose weight after delivering a baby, she may be at risk for obesity and other associated diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The cost of obesity in Canada is estimated to range from 4.6 to 7.1 billion dollars annually. Pregnant women are expected to gain weight; however, when they do not lose weight after pregnancy it increases their risk of staying overweight. There is lack of understanding about how to achieve a healthy weight after pregnancy, what influences weight retention, and the dynamics of how weight changes in this period. More research is required to better understand factors affecting metabolic profile of postpartum women in order to develop strategies to achieve adequate weight management. Sixty new mothers will be recruited to participate at 3 and 9 month postpartum assessments. A 1hr energy metabolism and 24hr energy metabolism will be measured by a live-in Whole Body Calorimetry Unit at 3 and 9 months postpartum, respectively. This special high-technology operational unit is the one of two of its kind in Canada. It has the capability to measure how many calories an individual burns in a day, how efficiently carbohydrate and fat are used for energy, and whether carbohydrate or fat is the body's preferred source of energy during different times of the day. Information provided by this study will improve our understanding of this critical stage of life. It may influence future government strategies that target the promotion of appropriate weight management and optimize diet quality for postpartum women. Strategies aimed at the prevention of obesity and other associated diseases are important for improving the quality of life for people across all income levels, and ultimately to address the many dilemmas faced by the Canadian health care system.