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Rush Limbaugh speaks out against breastfeeding

4K views 43 replies 18 participants last post by  User101 
#1 ·
#6 ·
Maybe he thinks that only the people who can afford formula should have children.

But yeah, it's pretty bizarre phrasing to suggest that a baby being breastfed is the same sort of thing as people being on the government "teat."
 
#8 ·
May I suggest that everyone vote in the poll at the bottom of the article that I linked?
 
#9 ·
Much of a UAV I know Limbaugh is, I have to say he wasn't actually speaking out against breastfeeding. He was speaking out against raising and spending *money* on behalf of simply raising "awareness", and against scientifically unprovable (and irrefutable too though he ignores that) promises that breastfeeding would be a magic bullet to solve obesity. He was being a typical, well, UAV, in the manner he said it in order to get attention, and was not at all constructive in it. He and his cohorts actually say make it easier economically for a mom to choose to stay home with an infant if you want to increase BF. And make it easier for individuals to choose healthy foods to decrease obesity. Not to spend money on programs for awareness, but give individuals incentives instead.

(Please don't ban me)
 
#10 ·
His words: "Michelle Obama saying that there's evidence that breastfeeding prevents childhood obesity. Folks, this is another one of these old wives tales. There's a rich...shall I say body, rich body of scientific research that says that is a myth. That breast feeding prevents childhood obesity. It's a myth. I mean are you surprised that Moochell would encourage more people to get on the teat?"

That is an attack on breastfeeding.
 
#11 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sustainer View Post
His words: "Michelle Obama saying that there's evidence that breastfeeding prevents childhood obesity. Folks, this is another one of these old wives tales. There's a rich...shall I say body, rich body of scientific research that says that is a myth. That breast feeding prevents childhood obesity. It's a myth. I mean are you surprised that Moochell would encourage more people to get on the teat?"

That is an attack on breastfeeding.
It is a play on words, he means government "teat," i.e. government entitlement programs. I agree with JamieCatheryn's summary.
 
#12 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn View Post
Much of a UAV I know Limbaugh is, I have to say he wasn't actually speaking out against breastfeeding. He was speaking out against raising and spending *money* on behalf of simply raising "awareness", and against scientifically unprovable (and irrefutable too though he ignores that) promises that breastfeeding would be a magic bullet to solve obesity. He was being a typical, well, UAV, in the manner he said it in order to get attention, and was not at all constructive in it. He and his cohorts actually say make it easier economically for a mom to choose to stay home with an infant if you want to increase BF. And make it easier for individuals to choose healthy foods to decrease obesity. Not to spend money on programs for awareness, but give individuals incentives instead.

(Please don't ban me)
I'm with you. I have never listened to the guy so I don't care either way, but I'm sure the way he said it was just for the point of controversy and ratings.

It's still very frustrating from a Lactivism point of view.
 
#14 ·
It's funny though, this stuff about how you can't objectively study whether breastfeeding has a measurable benefit in whatever area since breastfeeding moms might also do other beneficial things. But since there's at least some reasonable suggestion it's worse to not BF in so many areas (obesity, IQ, immune system, allergies, and so on and so forth), one probably has an agenda to nitpick and point out the weak points in the scientific studies. Political reasons or profit reasons, or just a socially constructed bias against it.

I wonder, how important was the scientific support for breastfeeding to your original decisions to do it? Might be a good spinoff thread actually, but it is on topic to this argument of his too.
 
#15 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Emmeline II
It is a play on words, he means government "teat," i.e. government entitlement programs.
I understand that he's also using it as a play on words, but the topic he's addressing is literal breastfeeding. If a person were a supporter of breastfeeding, that person wouldn't say "She says it reduces obesity. That's a total myth. But I'm not surprised that she's trying to get more people on the teat." His comments are both anti-welfare and anti-breastfeeding.
 
#17 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mackenzie View Post
His argument doesn't even make sense.
This was my thought too.

I voted, it is at 95% that yes he is wrong.
 
#19 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by annettemarie View Post
Saying that breastfeeding decreasing obesity is a myth is absolutely an anti-breastfeeding statement, regardless of what else he was harping on.

Really, so just because I don't believe that BFing prevents obesity means I'm anti BFing even though I did BF and support child led weaning.

I guess I'm not allowed to come to my own conclusions regarding studies and their claims.

Opinions don't always come together in neat little party line packages
 
#20 ·
I think saying that the scientific evidence doesn't show what the scientific evidence clearly shows is anti-breastfeeding. That's my opinion. There's a real shift lately in trying to reinterpret scientific evidence to make it seem as if breastfeeding isn't any better than formula feeding. It isn't about politics-- which again, we are not discussing-- but about a trend in putting down breastmilk.
 
#22 ·
I'm wondering if there's a semantics issue here. Is it understood that when we talk about breastfeeding preventing obesity, we're not claiming that no breastfed baby will become obese? Simply that it reduces the risk of obesity. Is anyone on this thread denying that it reduces the risk?

(Am I allowed to point out that formula contains high fructose corn syrup?)
 
#23 ·
Some formulas contain HFCS, and yes, that's fine to point out.


And I do think your point is a good one that gets missed sometimes-- saying statistically that A reduces the risk of B often gets interpreted as A prevents B, which are two totally different claims. It's a good reminder that we as breastfeeding advocates need to choose our words carefully!
 
#25 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Arduinna View Post
Well I wish every child was breastfed and a part of me wishes that formula required a rx to get but that is probably subject for another thread. I just have a healthy skepticism of studies in general regardless of subject matter.
There have been some articles that have refuted that research but they were written by the formula counsel so I do take that with a huge big enormous grain of salt.

IMO there is enough evidence that supports those claims.
 
#26 ·
I don't generally rely on studies myself. I place more importance on what makes sense to me. But Rush isn't simply saying that he's skeptical of the research. He's saying that breastfeeding DOES NOT prevent obesity. He's *ridiculing* Michelle Obama for promoting breastfeeding as a way of reducing childhood obesity.
 
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