Our work has the potential to directly challenge the current conventional approach to pregnancy care - that focuses on treatment during the latter half of pregnancy - and shift efforts towards preventive care during the preconception period.
Suzanne Phelan earned her PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology from MCP Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA. She is a Professor of Kinesiology at Cal Poly. Her principal research interest is in the behavioral treatment of obesity and methods to promote weight control in the time surrounding pregnancy. Her work has examined the effects of lifestyle interventions to reduce excessive weight gain during pregnancy and online interventions to reduce postpartum weight retention in low-income women. Her ongoing work is also testing the effects of lifestyle intervention before pregnancy to improve pre-pregnancy weight status and reduce subsequent incidence of gestational diabetes.