# Promoting fat loss during pregnancy in women with grade 2 and 3 obesity

> **NIH NIH R01** · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · 2024 · $255,504

## Abstract

PROMOTING FAT LOSS IN PREGNANCY IN WOMEN WITH OBESITY
PROJECT SUMMARY
Maternal obesity and excess weight gain in pregnancy are the leading causes of maternal and fetal
morbidity. Randomized trials in women with obesity have shown that lifestyle interventions in pregnancy
produce modest reductions in gestational weight gain, yet unfortunately fail to produce clinically significant
improvements in maternal and child outcomes as long hoped. Several well-defined prospective cohort studies
suggest that for women with obesity, weight maintenance during pregnancy – and specifically loss in fat mass
– may be required to reduce adverse maternal and child outcomes. However, there are no randomized
controlled trials testing the health effects of weight maintenance and significant maternal fat mass loss during
pregnancy in women with obesity. Our novel preliminary energy balance and body composition data showed
that weight maintenance during pregnancy could be achieved with careful timing of caloric restriction during the
second trimester and eucaloric goals during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Based on these and our other
preliminary data, we propose a highly rigorous proof-of-principle trial to determine the effects of a 6-month
gestational intervention with calorie restriction and food provision to promote maternal weight maintenance and
fat loss in women with obesity. Pregnant women with obesity (N = 100; 30% Hispanic; 30% Black) will be
randomized to usual care or a gestational fat mass loss (FML) intervention. The principal aims are to determine
the effects of FML during pregnancy on changes in 1) maternal weight, fat mass, and cardiometabolic risk
factors; and, 2) safety measures, including fetal and neonatal growth. All women will be assessed at baseline
(13-16 weeks), 27-29 weeks, and 35-37 weeks gestation and at 2 weeks postpartum; safety measures are
collected every 4 weeks throughout the trial. This project is significant because findings have the potential to
set the stage for a revision in national recommendations that currently encourage weight gain during
pregnancy in women with obesity; findings may lead to new guidelines that encourage practitioners to not
delay intensive weight management treatment in women with obesity who become pregnant and present for
healthcare. The study is also innovative; there have been no randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects
of an intervention intensive enough to actually achieve weight maintenance during pregnancy and provide
much needed safety and efficacy data to inform practice recommendations for diverse women with severe
obesity who lack effective treatment options.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10907289
- **Project number:** 3R01DK124806-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Suzanne Phelan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $255,504
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-05-15 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10907289

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10907289, Promoting fat loss during pregnancy in women with grade 2 and 3 obesity (3R01DK124806-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10907289. Licensed CC0.

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