Women’s health workshop series to begin in Shell Cove after overwhelming demand

A free women’s health session in Shell Cove that sold out in less than 48 hours has sparked a new series of monthly workshops starting in early 2025, led by women’s health dietitian Kara Roberts.

The overwhelming response has highlighted the strong demand in the area for evidence-based information and support around issues focused on women’s health.

Kara, who runs Shell Cove nutrition business Pause Nutrition, will be hosting the first workshop on weight management and debunking diet myths on 4 February in partnership with Frasers Property at The Waterfront Shell Cove Sales Centre.

She has also lined up other Illawarra healthcare professionals to cover topics such as mental health, pelvic floor health, and menopause at subsequent sessions.

“Ultimately, my passion, desire and drive behind those workshops is because I’d love to create a real community of women in the local area that are really interested in, ‘How do I improve my health?’” Kara said.

“Being a lecturer and a dietitian, I’m very keen that it’s all evidence-based, and that it’s really empowering women. It’s not, ‘Go on a diet, buy supplements’.

“It makes good clickbait and gets attention, but does not serve women in the long term.

“That really upsets me, and that’s what I have to battle against quite a lot with the work I do, is fighting the misinformation.”

Kara’s path to specialising in women’s health began with a degree in sports science and exercise, followed by a transition to dietetics after completing her dietetics training in the UK.

She worked in various health roles, before eventually moving into higher education as a lecturer.

Kara’s personal experiences with inadequate health care and advice, coupled with similar stories from friends with conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, inspired her to shift her focus to women’s health and launch Pause Nutrition in July.

“I saw a gynecologist, and as much as I didn’t like it very much, I’ve got something to thank him for, because it really spurred me on to say, ‘If this is the advice women are getting from consultants, then there’s a serious problem here,’” she said.

“I was like, ‘Even if it’s in a very small way, I want to make a difference in the women’s health space.’”

She said the workshop came about after taking her three-year-old daughter to a storytime event at the Shell Cove sales centre, where she discovered Frasers Property were seeking topics to share.

It led to her running her first free event in November, prompting the idea for the series of women’s health workshops with a nominal fee.

“We did the last one for free, and it sold out within less than 48 hours, which was really exciting,” she said.

“I was like, this shows there’s such a real interest and desire for this kind of content.”

She said to expand the topic range, she looked for other Illawarra health professionals “with women’s best interests at heart” to share topics women in the area had requested.

“I’m a dietitian, but I know the importance of nutrition is just one piece of the puzzle,” she said.

Kara said she would run a workshop to launch the series with a focus on weight loss around midlife and what could be done about it.

“I’m very much around anti-diet and health at every size, and body acceptance,” she said.

Other speakers will include Emma Lightfoot from Inside Out Psychology and Wellness on mental health, Dr Melissa Cave and nurse Kelly Clarke from My Menopause in Jamberoo on perimenopause, and Melinda McDowell from Oak Flats Physiotherapy and Pelvic Health on the pelvic floor and exercises.

She said they had tended to attract women over 40, but younger women also attended.

“It would be so great if we can build some momentum, and a real community of women that know where to come for real evidence-based advice, because I think you can go on the internet and just get so much conflicting advice,” she said.

Kara hopes to expand the program to areas like Jervis Bay if the initial series proves successful.

Pause Nutrition and Frasers Property’s workshop series will be held on the first Tuesday of every month, starting from 4 February, followed by 4 March, 1 April and 6 May at the Shell Cove Sales Office. Follow Kara on Instagram to see when tickets are released.