Francette Dietitian

10/04/2026

🌻 Remember Lindani? It is almost 5 months after her gastric sleeve surgery and she is loving life 🎉 In November 2025 she was able to have surgery with Dr Thinus Smit at Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital due to the BEST “stokvel” initiative ever - the Obesity Community Fund.
Watch this space to follow the rest of her health journey.

Lindani learned about the OBESITY COMMUNITY FUND from a friend.

⁉️ Who will you tell about this amazing initiative?

For more info visit www.obesitycommunityfund.co.za

Unsure if you will qualify for surgery? Then reach out for an appointment:
📞 012 346 5639
📧 [email protected]

04/03/2026

📻 🔈 Luister hier 🤓
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0I24lNl6vcBaihy62jCeaF?si=aVMJZlTBTt6OisWC1u3AHA&t=8

04/03/2026

There are 8 billion reasons to act on obesity.
It’s not about willpower, it’s about the right support.
We’re here to help.

03/03/2026

Join us this Thursday 5th of March for our next webinar.
Topic “Am I a candidate for bariatric surgery?”
Starting at 19:00 5th March 2026 💻

RSVP here
https://www.obesitycommunityfund.co.za/event-details/live-webinar-am-i-a-candidate-for-bariatric-surgery

Heard about bariatric surgery but unsure if it’s right for you?

Discover the qualification criteria, how it works, and what to realistically expect — live with our experts.

RSVP by following this link:
https://www.obesitycommunityfund.co.za/event-details/live-webinar-am-i-a-candidate-for-bariatric-surgery

23/01/2026

Your bariatric multi-disciplinary team with Dr Thinus Smit takes great care to ensure you are ready & safe, before, during & after surgery 🙌🏻

📍 Zuid Afrikaans Hospital, Pretoria
📧 [email protected]

12/01/2026

🙌🏻 Starting the year with awesome news from Dr Thinus Smit and the Obesity Community Fund
Become a member or become a sponsor because

More info on the website www.obesitycommunityfund.co.za

Team📍 Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital, Pretoria

08/01/2026

VITAMIN B12 | Bariatric and gastric surgery can be lifesaving and life-changing.
Long-term health after surgery is best supported through ongoing follow-up, monitoring, and nutrition care.

After gastrectomy or bariatric procedures, vitamin B12 absorption changes because the body produces less intrinsic factor, a protein needed to absorb B12 from food. This is well understood and, with the right supplementation and monitoring, is very manageable.

Low vitamin B12 levels may sometimes be associated with fatigue, changes in concentration, or nerve symptoms and these are often reversible when identified early.

During pregnancy, vitamin B12 needs increase to support maternal wellbeing and the neurological development of the baby. With appropriate antenatal care and nutritional follow-up, healthy pregnancies after bariatric or gastric surgery are absolutely achievable.

Today, vitamin B12 can be effectively supplemented in ways that bypass the stomach, such as mouth sprays absorbed through the lining of the mouth, making long-term care simpler and more comfortable for many patients.

Vitamin B12 support works best when it is:
✔ individualised
✔ based on blood results
✔ reviewed regularly across life stages, including pregnancy

Surgery is the starting point.
Ongoing care is what helps patients thrive long-term.

👉 Book a consultation for personalised nutrition support.

https://my.practicebetter.io/ #/64d21750c002874e13057fb9/bookings

📍Zuid Afrikaans hospital, Pretoria
🌍 In Person and Online consults
📧 [email protected]

03/01/2026

After bariatric surgery, micronutrient absorption is altered for life even years after surgery and even with a balanced diet.

💊Do you still need daily supplements?
Yes. Lifelong.
Supplement needs are individualised, based on:
• your blood results
• your type of bariatric surgery

Common micronutrients at risk after bariatric surgery include iron, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, vitamin A, and thiamine (vitamin B1).

Now add pregnancy 🤰
Nutrient requirements increase to support both mom and baby while absorption challenges remain.

Inadequate micronutrient levels may increase risks for:
• maternal anaemia, fatigue, bone loss & neurological symptoms
• poor fetal growth, low iron stores, and effects on neurological and bone development of the baby

This is why pregnancy after bariatric surgery requires specialised nutrition care, regular blood monitoring, and tailored supplementation not standard prenatal nutrition advice.

It is specialist bariatric pregnancy care.

🤰 Planning a pregnancy or already pregnant after bariatric surgery?

👉 Book your consult
https://my.practicebetter.io/ #/64d21750c002874e13057fb9/bookings

📍Zuid Afrikaans hospital, Pretoria
🌍 In Person and Online consults
📧 [email protected]

01/01/2026

No matter which health journey you are on in 2026 one thing remains constant:

Nutrition is not an add-on.
It is the foundation.

🍒Sustainable weight loss requires more than willpower.
🥑GLP-1 medications work best when nutrition supports muscle, metabolism, and micronutrient needs.
🥕Bariatric surgery outcomes depend on lifelong nutritional care.
🥬Fertility and pregnancy outcomes are shaped long before conception and every day during pregnancy.

This year, let’s focus on evidence-based nutrition, realistic plans, and support that fits your life and medical history, not quick fixes.

✨ I’m looking forward to supporting you in 2026.

👉 Bookings now open https://my.practicebetter.io/ #/64d21750c002874e13057fb9/bookings

📍 Zuid Afrikaans Hospital, Pretoria
🌍 In-person & online consultations
📧 [email protected]