Objective:

Can gestational weight gain in obese women be restricted by 10-h dietary consultations and does this restriction impact the pregnancy-induced changes in glucose metabolism?

Design:

A randomized controlled trial with or without restriction of gestational weight gain to 6–7 kg by ten 1-h dietary consultations.

Subjects:

Fifty nondiabetic nonsmoking Caucasian obese pregnant women were randomized into intervention group (n= 23, 28±4 years, prepregnant body mass index (BMI) 35±4 kg m− 2) or control group (n= 27, 30±5 years, prepregnant BMI 35±3 kg m− 2).

Measurements:

The weight development was measured at inclusion (15 weeks), at 27 weeks, and 36 weeks of gestation. The dietary intakes were reported in the respective weeks by three 7-day weighed food records and blood samples for analyses of fasting s-insulin, s-leptin, b-glucose, and 2-h b-glucose after an oral glucose tolerance test were collected.

Results:

The women in the intervention group successfully limited their energy intake, and restricted the gestational weight gain to 6.6 kg vs a gain of 13.3 kg in the control group (P= 0.002, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.6–10.8 kg). Both s-insulin and s-leptin were reduced by 20% in the intervention group compared to the control group at week 27, mean difference:− 16 pmol l− 1 (P= 0.04, 95% CI:− 32 to− 1) for insulin and− 23 ng ml− 1 (P= 0.004, 95% CI:− 39 to− 8) for leptin. At 36 weeks of gestation, the s-insulin was further reduced by 23%,− 25 pmol l− 1 (− 47 to− 4, P= 0.022) and the fasting b-glucose were reduced by 8% compared with the control group (− 0.3 mmol l− 1,− 0.6 to− 0.0, P= 0.03).

Conclusions:

Restriction of gestational weight gain in obese women is achievable and reduces the deterioration in the glucose metabolism.