Can a Pre-Pregnancy diet and exercise program break the obesity cycle?

NCT ID NCT03146156

First seen Dec 10, 2025 · Last updated Jun 20, 2026 · Updated 24 times

Summary

This study tested whether a lifestyle program focused on healthy eating (Mediterranean diet) and exercise, started before pregnancy, could improve health for obese mothers and their babies. Researchers enrolled 99 women planning another pregnancy and measured baby body fat and maternal metabolism. The goal was to see if preparing the mother's body before conception could reduce obesity risks in the next generation.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

  • MetroHealth Medical Center

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44109, United States

  • Pennington Biomedical Research Center

    Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70808, United States

  • Tufts Medical Center

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, United States

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Lifestyle intervention (Mediterranean diet and exercise)

What this could lead to

If successful, this approach could help break the cycle of obesity by improving maternal health before pregnancy, leading to healthier babies.

What could go wrong

This is a small, early-stage study with 99 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Lifestyle changes can be hard to maintain, and the intervention may not significantly affect baby outcomes.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Fetal Macrosomia Obesity Overweight psychiatric disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.