New research finds that “bump watch” may be contributing to pregnancy anorexia in average pregnant women, and interfering with pregnant women’s bond with the babies they are carrying.
In a study published in the journal Psychology & Marketing, researchers discovered that pregnant women who follow celebrity pregnancies a little too closely and who already had a high concern about their body were likely to stress about weight gain during pregnancy.
The study found that such obsession over weight may lead to pregnant women connecting less with the baby they are carrying.
It’s the first time a study focused on celebrity pregnancy’s impact on women’s body image, Jayne Krisjanous, a marketing professor at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand told Science of Us.
However, it is important to note that the 400 women studied were already more inclined to have negative body images in the first place, so that the fact the would be further negatively impacted by seemingly “perfect” and skinny pregnant celebrities should come as no surprise.
I launched Bellyitch in 2007 when I was pregnant with my last child as a way to document my pregnancy. I started monitoring and featuring pregnant celebrities who were also expecting when I was on this blog, yet never felt inclined to match their weight gain or pregnancy growth.
Thus, it truly is about each woman and those already confident in their body image, may not necessarily have the same reaction to following a “bump watch.”
What do you think?