Planning for pregnancy provides opportunity for health changes, but conversations about weight must be compassionate
Slimming World has welcomed the latest annual report from Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, entitled Health of the 51%: Women.
The report highlights planning for pregnancy as a key missed opportunity to give women health messages to improve their mental and physical health and that of their children. It also calls for all women to work with healthcare professionals to make positive changes when planning to get pregnant and to stay healthy throughout their pregnancy.
Carolyn Pallister, Slimming World Public Health Manager, says: “The CMO is absolutely right to highlight the opportunity for health professionals to talk to women who are planning a pregnancy about how they can manage their weight and improve their health.
“This is a natural time for women to think not only about their own health but also the health of their future child. During this period, many women are particularly open, not only to taking action to lose weight, but also to doing it with support to make long-term changes to their eating habits and becoming more active rather than through faddy short-term diets. We’re the only national weight management organisation to support women through every stage of their pregnancy, from pre-conception to post natally, and work closely with the Royal College of Midwives.
“We know that many health professionals may worry about talking to women about their weight for fear of causing offence. However, with such strong evidence that carrying excess weight can increase the health risks for both mother and baby, they really have a duty of care to raise the issue.
“The really important thing though is how health professionals go about having that difficult conversation, as while talking to patients about their weight in a compassionate, caring and respectful way can empower women to make healthy changes, being critical or judgemental is not only offensive but can be very counterproductive.
“We believe the Government should introduce a national training programme for health professionals to give them the skills to raise the issue in a compassionate way and to understand where to signpost patients for effective support in making healthy lifestyle changes, losing weight and maintaining weight loss.”
