Introduction 2 1 2 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 17 Prevalence of overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age 18 19 20 Determinants of overweight among women 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 Influences of adolescent overweight on reproductive health 19 28 Pregravid BMI is a predictor of gestational weight gain 29 30 29 1 31 33 34 35 Weight intervention studies 36 37 38 Clinic-based interventions 39 Weight loss interventions 40 41 42 Significance of weight status during postpartum period 31 43 44 Conclusion 45