Breastfeeding and Obesity
I just read an article which talked about a study done by Harvard Medical School researchers. Apparently their study showed that breastfeeding is unlikely to be a factor in reducing obesity. They did say that exclusive nursing for 6 months is associated with a slimmer body at age 5, but they also say that association doesn't carry through to adolescents or adulthood.
Hmmm....my first thought is "that's probably because of society not necessarily because breastfeeding doesn't or can't help in that area."
Anyway - the lead author on the study said that previous studies, who's findings contradict the findings in this recent study, failed to properly account for socioeconomic factors that may also have had an influence.
What do you think?
You can read the short article here.
Hmmm....my first thought is "that's probably because of society not necessarily because breastfeeding doesn't or can't help in that area."
Anyway - the lead author on the study said that previous studies, who's findings contradict the findings in this recent study, failed to properly account for socioeconomic factors that may also have had an influence.
What do you think?
You can read the short article here.
Labels: breastfeeding
posted by Stacie at 3:42 AM
NEW! 
2 Comments:
There are probably a lot of factors that come into play here, but one thing that sticks out in my mind is that breastfed babies can't really be overfed like bottlefed babies.
You can't "top off" a breastfed infant by jiggling a bottle in its mouth to encourage it to finish the last bit.
Breastfed babies take in the calories they need by adjusting their time spent at the breast or their sucking.
It seems reasonable that this would lead to a healthy weight during baby/toddlerhood, and also establishes a pattern of eating that is more healthy.
This study surprises me, because there have been several others that pointed to an effect on weight lasting into adolescense.
There are so many factors to be taken into account, that breast feeding is only one part of it. I know both of our children are in the lower percentiles, but just right for them, and I nursed them both for about a year and a half each. Will the be heavier later? I don't know.
My sister's two boys -neither nursed for long - one is skinny as a stick, the other is a bit heftier -he's a tank, not overweight -just a BIG boy.
Heredity plays a bit part in it, as does diet, and physical activity.
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