Why Weight Gain After Breast Cancer Matters
As a clinical nutritionist, my mission has always been to support women with personalised nutrition and lifestyle strategies, especially during life stages like perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. But there's a health challenge many women face that often goes unspoken: weight gain after breast cancer treatment.
This isn’t just about body image or fitting into clothes. It’s about long-term health, confidence, and quality of life. And right now, there’s a serious gap in care.
That’s why I’ve embarked on a research project as part of my Master of Research degree - to better understand what’s happening, and what needs to change.
The Hidden Struggle of Post-Treatment Weight Gain
Up to 96% of women experience weight gain during or after breast cancer treatment. It can happen rapidly, and for reasons that aren’t entirely within a woman’s control: hormonal changes, treatment-induced menopause, reduced physical activity, fatigue, emotional distress, and metabolic shifts all play a role.
Despite how common this is, many women are left to manage it alone. And the consequences can be significant: increased risk of cancer recurrence, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Why This Research Matters
Right now in Australia, there is no clear model of care for weight management in breast cancer survivorship. While some oncologists and general practitioners (GPs) do incredible work in this space, it’s often left to chance, dependent on a provider’s interest, time, or resources.
My research is exploring how GPs approach weight management in the survivorship phase. GPs are often the first point of contact after treatment ends, yet little is known about their views, experiences, and the support they need to help women in this area.
Through in-depth interviews with GPs, I aim to identify:
How they currently address weight gain after breast cancer
What challenges they face in doing so
What resources or models of care could better support them and their patients
The ultimate goal? To help shape a more consistent, collaborative, and compassionate approach to survivorship care, one that acknowledges weight gain as more than just a cosmetic concern but a risk factor for cancer recurrence and chronic disease.
Bridging Research and Real-World Practice
As both a clinical nutritionist and a researcher, I’m passionate about translating evidence into practical support for the women I see every day. This research isn’t just academic, it’s deeply personal.
By listening to the voices of GPs, I hope to help design care pathways that are realistic, supportive, and centred around the real needs of women. That might include better nutrition guidance, referral networks, coordinated care between providers, or even just greater awareness of what post-treatment life is really like.
What This Means for You
If you're a woman navigating life after breast cancer and struggling with weight gain, please know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong. Your experience is valid and it deserves attention.
If you're a GP or healthcare professional, I’d love to hear from you. Your insights are essential to shaping more effective, evidence-informed models of care.
I’ll be sharing updates as the research progresses. In the meantime, if you’d like to know more about how I support women in this space through personalised nutrition, pathology reviews, and holistic care, feel free to reach out.
*This article is based on a research proposal submitted to Western Sydney University. References are available on request.