Experts are warning maternal obesity may have a serious impact on pregnant women and their children, and have issued guidelines for health practitioners to try to remedy the growing problem.

In particular, the position paper from the American Dietetic Association and the American Society of Nutrition argues that diet counseling for overweight and obese women of childbearing age should be implemented to reduce health risks associated with excess weight during pregnancy.

The authors say some 33 percent of U.S. women are obese, and a long-term goal of health professionals must be to reduce the number of women who become pregnant while overweight.

“Among obese women, who already have aberrations in glucose and lipid metabolism, the further adjustments induced by hormonal changes in pregnancy create a metabolic milieu that enhances the risk for metabolic disorders such as gestational diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia,” the paper states.

It further suggests children born to overweight mothers have a higher risk of congenital anomalies, including spina bifida, anencephaly, oral clefts, heart anomalies, hydrocephaly and abdominal wall abnormalities.

While some medical conditions may cause obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise are frequently responsible for the condition and are remediable.

In particular, health experts have suggested that the alkaline diet rich in citrus fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts and legumes may help shed extra pounds while boosting bone health into old age.