Overweight and obesity are recognised as significant contributors to ill-health and world-wide burden of disease [1], estimated to affect approximately 1.3 billion adults globally [2]. In the Australian obstetric population 34% of women are overweight or obese [3], although more recent data would suggest that this is approaching 50% [4]. These figures are consistent with international data, which indicate 50–60% of women are overweight or obese on entering pregnancy The developmental over-nutrition hypothesis (also termed
the Pederson Hypothesis) was first proposed in 1954 [10] in an
attempt to explain the relationship between maternal diabetes
during pregnancy and foetal overgrowth, principally
increased adiposity. Under this hypothesis, maternal hyperglycaemia
is associated with increased placental transfer of
glucose, resulting in foetal hyperglycaemia and increased
insulin production, the resultant effect, an increase in insulinmediated
foetal growth. The contribution of other fuel
substrates, including free fatty acids, triglycerides and amino
acids, was also recognised [10]. More recently, the hypothesis
has been expanded to recognise the potential metabolic
impact of maternal obesity