The present study was conducted to investigate physical characteristics, food habits of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellites(GDM). The subjects were consecutive pregnant women, 21 GDM and 43 non-GDM controls who received antenatal care at the Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic. There were no significant difference in the mean age between the two groups(GDM:30.8years, non-GDM:30.5years). Significant differences were observed in several anthropometric characteristics such as height(GDM:159.7cm, non-GDM:162.3cm), prepregnancy weight(GDM:61.6kg, non-GDM:54.1kg), body mass index(GDM:23.9kg/$m^2$, non-GDM:20.5kg/$m^2$), and triceps skin fold thicknesses(GDM:30.9mm, non-GDM:24.7mm) between the two groups. The GDM group had an high incidence of(52.4%) family history of diabetes mellitus than those of control group(23.3%). In the GDM group, more irregularities of meals and more bed-time snacking were observed than those of control group. The intake amount of carbohydrates as well as the total energy were significantly higher in the GDM group when thery were compared with the control. These results suggest that the GDM women in Korea do exhibit clearly distinctive anthropometric and dietary characteristics. Nutritional management such as weight control before conception and throughout pregnancy, monitoring total energy and carbohydrate intakes, and implementing more rigorous meal scheduling might be beneficial for the prevention or reduction of the prevalence of the GDM or its complications. (Korean J nutrition 34(2):158~164, 2001)