In the movie "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," we saw how maternal obesity can curse a grown son's affair of the heart. A new study shows that being overweight before and during pregnancy can cause your child — as a 30-year-old — to have hypertension and other problems of the heart, from abnormal heartbeat to high triglycerides and low HDL (good) cholesterol.

Seventy percent of overweight women gain too much while pregnant, and that puts excess fat on a newborn. This kicks off the slide to obesity, Type-2 diabetes, and heart problems as a young adult.

We're committed to helping women and their yet-to-be-born children enjoy a long and healthy life. So if you're overweight and thinking about becoming pregnant, make a promise to yourself and your child: "I will get fit and shrink my waist before I get pregnant."

To jump-start you on your road to a healthier life, here are some of our favorite tips.

1. Reduce portion size with Dr. Mike's Shortcut to Better Nutrition: Divide your 8-inch (no larger) dinner plate into four sections. One fourth gets whole grains, one half gets veggies and one fourth gets lean protein. No skyscrapers!

2. Burn fat faster with Dr. Oz's 3-Pack of Power:

• Get EGCG. Green tea's potent polyphenol zaps fat. Harness it with 500 milligrams a day.

• Move more. Enjoy a morning and afternoon walk; get into chores. (Making the bed burns 12 calories; vacuuming the living room, 25.) Extra activity creates real weight loss.

• Boost metabolism. Spice up food with chilies to burn more calories.

© 2012 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.