7NEWS Spotlight’s special investigation sees Liz Hayes put her body on the line for women’s health

Celebrated journalist Liz Hayes has uncovered plenty of shocking truths throughout her career, but few have been so personal as the discoveries from her latest investigation.

What she learnt has sparked a “reckoning” for Hayes, but she hopes it will also drive a wider national conversation on the potentially deadly consequences of women’s health being ignored “for decades.”

In her first 7NEWS Spotlight investigation of the season, to air on Sunday, Hayes examines how women’s bodies have been misunderstood for centuries, and why change is finally underway.

In doing so she put her own body on the line, undergoing a series of physical and medical tests as she approached her 70th birthday today.

“I had medication testing, and a variety of explorations about exercise and nutrition, and I’m finding out things I didn’t necessarily know before,” she said.

Hayes said she felt “duped” upon discovering a decades-long gender bias in health research which excluded women.

“I was aghast to learn that for decades much of women’s health has been based on the research of men. I was shocked by what that has meant and how far women have fallen behind,” she said.

As a result, Hayes explained, the health advice of Australian women and girls has been built on incomplete and at times flawed and harmful research and information.

But Hayes said she felt buoyed by the doctors, researchers and health experts working to close the gap and explore new approaches that could help women live better, healthier and longer lives.

Among them are scientist, author and female physiology and training expert Stacy Sims, who is on a mission to dispel long-held assumptions about female nutrition and exercise and advance research into women’s health.

She advocates for strength training over cardio and warns against intermittent fasting.

In 2023 the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council introduced measures to address gender bias, requesting that research funding applications consider both males and females.

Hayes said this was an important start, but more needed to be done.

“Women haven’t been given the full picture,” Hayes said.

“But I am buoyed by the amazing efforts to remedy that — some of it life changing. And suffice to say I’m hoping it’s not too late for me to make some critical changes.”

Hayes, who has had an incredible career spanning more than four decades, will celebrate her milestone birthday today with family and friends.

Hayes also interviews Olympian and mother-of-five Libby Trickett, who recently experienced a devastating and life changing health scare.

Trickett suffered a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a form of heart attack which impacts middle aged women and is linked to pregnancy and postpartum hormonal changes.

Trickett was frustrated to discover very little research had been carried out into the condition.

“Libby has that eternal smile, and it belies this deep sadness and fear that she has about the future, because what she experienced is a very under researched event,” Hayes said.

“It’s grossly unfair, but there are these amazing women who are doing amazing work, and and we highlight some of those women, who are really wanting to lift the roof a bit with their voices and say ‘this is the result of women not being researched properly in health and that’s not good enough.’”

Watch 7NEWS Spotlight 8pm tonight on Seven and 7plus.