Women who become pregnant may be able to fight one kind of obesity if they take probiotic supplements, Finnish researchers say.

They measured the difference between diet advice alone, as well as supplementation with probiotics, in reducing central obesity during the pregnancies of 256 women.

Central obesity, which is measured using waist size and body mass index, is a particularly harmful condition, say the scientists, and it was found in 43 percent of women who only received advice on nutrition when calculated a year after their pregnancy.

Those who received probiotic supplements in addition to advice on what foods to eat had a lower rate, with only a quarter reporting obesity one year after they delivered.

"The advantage of studying pregnant women to investigate the potential link between probiotics and obesity is that it allows us to see the effects not only in the women, but also in their children," said lead researcher Kirsi Laitinen.

Although the study didn’t measure pre-pregnancy weights, she is hopeful that further research, including follow-up studies of these women, will provide more information about the role of probiotics in obesity prevention.