Pregorexia is a hot new buzzword in our society. It refers to an ailment that seems to be affecting a growing number of pregnant women who strive to stay as thin as possible during pregnancy in the hopes of not only looking fit and thin while pregnant, but also bouncing back to their pre-pregnancy bodies in a blink. It has been called a trend—one that is alarming health officials and causing controversy. Many people have blamed the apparent uptick in pregorexia on celebrity pregnancies, like those of Nicole Kidman and Nicole Ritchie. But are celebrities and tabloids exacerbating the problem, or simply shedding light on an issue that has always been around? How can a pregnant woman increase her the chances of having a healthy baby when surrounded by unrealistic images of “fashionable” pregnancy?

Nicole Kidman and Nicole Ritchie didn’t seem to show their pregnancies at all, and returned to their stick-thin pre-pregnancy bodies seemingly within hours after delivering their babies. One comedian even joked during Nicole Ritchie’s third trimester, that the super-thin star wasn’t pregnant, she just swallowed a grape.

There is no denying that these two women stayed seemingly inhumanly thin during their pregnancies, an ideal image we now carry due to the bombardment of tabloid images of pregnant celebrities. (This is similar to how tabloid images of super-svelte stars are said to trigger eating disorders in teenagers and young adults.)

It is important to remember that tabloids are sensationalistic, and do not reveal the truth in most situations. It is also important to remember that, as Dr. Holly Phillips explained on The Early Show, “a lot of these celebrities are just genetically blessed. ... They have the best dieticians, nutritionists, (trainers), etc. They certainly have an advantage."

While it may seem like more and more women are becoming pregorexic—obsessed with their weight, size, diet, and exercise during pregnancy—perhaps the real reason we are seeing more of these cases is not because tabloids are inspiring women to become pregorexic, but because women are more comfortable coming forward with their problems since tabloids have brought the issue into the mainstream spotlight.

This is the theory Times writer Catherine Bruton explores in her article, "Pregorexia: Does This Bump Look Big On Me?" where she asserts that some experts “believe that changes in shape and weight during pregnancy may exacerbate or rekindle latent anxieties and lead to a relapse of [an eating disorder].” Just because women who currently have an ED, or are in remission from an ED, have become pregnant does not mean the ED will vanish in favor of the baby’s health.

Whatever the cause of pregorexia, whether a pregnant woman had a history of disordered eating or body-image issues, or whether she became obsessed with her figure only during pregnancy, the results can be extremely damaging, not only to the fetus, but to the mother as well.

Dr. Holly Phillips explained on The Early Show that “calorie restriction is linked with growth retardation, birth defects, and vitamin deficiencies, both for the mother and baby. What's interesting about vitamin deficiencies is, say, for instance, with calcium deficiency: The baby will probably get what he or she needs, but that'll be at the expense of the mother's bones. So, you really have to be careful with that.”

How must you be careful with that? You need to take in more calories than you normally would. Dr. Phillips advises that mothers of average weight should “gain 25-35 pounds during pregnancy. If you're overweight, you should aim for the lower end of that range, and if you're underweight before pregnancy, you should gain between 28-40 pounds. Moms of twins my gain 45 or more.” If just seeing these numbers scares you, talk with your physician. While it may seem to you like your concerns are extremely selfish, superficial, not speaking to your doctor will only cause you to carry out a potentially unhealthful pregnancy in secret shame. A good doctor will not judge you, and will listen to your concerns and help you to address them.

Number two on the road to a healthful pregnancy: do not over-exercise. This is a tricky issue, as what may be considered over-exercising for one woman is not for another. Also, exercise is highly recommended during pregnancy as it helps with several things, says Dr. Phillips, “from the mother's mental and physical health to better deliveries, better postpartum recoveries, even a higher I.Q. for the baby.”

But overdoing it to the point where you’re breathing hard and not taking in enough oxygen is linked with neurological defects in the baby. "You shouldn't exercise to the point of exhaustion,” says the doctor, “If you need to throw yourself on the couch afterwards just to rejuvenate, you've done too much. You should feel invigorated after your workout, not exhausted." She recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day, four days a week.

Most women desire to have a healthful pregnancy, following their doctor’s instructions to the "t", taking prenatal vitamins, and happily gaining weight like Kate Hudson did while pregnant with son, Ryder. For those women struggling with body image or an eating disorder before becoming pregnant, pregnancy might worsen their troubles.

While the tabloids can be partly to blame for pregorexia, bombarding women with images of a false and unattainable ideal of a beautiful pregnancy, they can also be celebrated for shedding light on a disorder that afflicts several women, and for giving the disorder a name, taking away some of the shame, and allowing these women to speak up and receive help.

If you are pregnant, or are hoping to get pregnant soon, talk with your doctor about all of your concerns. Know that the pregnant form is gorgeous—no matter what. And now it’s easier than ever to flaunt it, with designer fashions widely available for every stage of pregnancy!