Barriers to adopting a healthy lifestyle: insight from postpartum women

BACKGROUND: Postpartum weight retention can contribute to obesity. There may be unique barriers to weight loss in this period. FINDINGS: Cases are presented for three postpartum women who declined to participate in a postpartum weight loss intervention. Despite their desire to engage in healthier behaviors, or partake in an intervention uniquely designed to promote healthy lifestyles for postpartum women, some find it too difficult to make such commitments. Barriers women face in adopting a healthier lifestyle in this period include 1) time availability; 2) prioritizing other competing life responsibilities above their own health; 3) support from family members, friends, and/or co-workers; and 4) lack of flexibility in the intervention structure. These illustrations describe their perspectives in the context of life balance, perceived health, and support, and reflect the multi-dimensional nature of their lives during the life cycle change of the postpartum period. CONCLUSION: Postpartum women face difficult and complex challenges to prioritizing their health and their weight management.