The call stems from a new research showing that women are struggling to prioritise their personal health after gestational diabetes, despite understanding their increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is the fastest growing type of diabetes in Australia, affecting more than 38,000 pregnant women each year. Women with gestational diabetes are one of the highest risk groups for type 2 diabetes in Australia
Many women do not naturally lose weight after pregnancy, retaining on average between 0.5 - 4.0 kilograms 12 months after pregnancy.
UniSA lead researcher and PhD candidate Kristy Gray says it’s important to understand the barriers to weight loss for women who have had gestational diabetes if we are to help reduce the growing incidence of type 2 diabetes.
“Barriers to weight loss and effective diet strategies can greatly vary between individuals – there is no one solution for everyone,” Gray says.
Also, despite women being well informed about the right foods to eat and the need to exercise (including the range of diet and exercise programs and trackers), women identify their primary barrier to weight loss as ‘family responsibilities’, with 62 per cent prioritising this over their personal health.
Based on this research, Gray argues that women with previous gestational diabetes presenting a high risk of type 2 diabetes would benefit from individualised support services and professional guidance to lose weight.
Ms Gray believes that Medicare rebates for dietitian or nutritionist appointments are excellent for people diagnosed with diabetes, but further rebates would help women in a high-risk category to access such services before they are diagnosed with diabetes.
