Rush Limbaugh speaks out against breastfeeding

[Sustainer]

http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-r...mbaugh_breast/

[Llyra]

As if I didn't have enough reasons to loathe that UA violation....

[Mackenzie]

His argument doesn't even make sense.

[kittywitty]

Well, it is Rush. Him being against something makes me FOR it, so he can blather on all he wants.

[SwanMom]

what's his alternative to breastfeeding? Would he rather have the government pay for each child to be formula-fed? 'cause that sounds like government spending...

[Sustainer]

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."

[annettemarie]

Please keep the forum guidelines in mind when posting. This isn't a vent forum, it's an activism forum. Please find a way to turn this around to breastfeeding advocacy. Thanks!

[Sustainer]

May I suggest that everyone vote in the poll at the bottom of the article that I linked?

[JamieCatheryn]

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)

[Sustainer]

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.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Sustainer

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.

[Youngfrankenstein]

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn

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.

[annettemarie]

I'm also asking that we please stay away from politics, since MDC no longer hosts political discussions.

[JamieCatheryn]

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.

[Sustainer]

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.

[madis81]

I agree with JamieCathryn. Listen to the show itself and you'll get the full angle of where he was coming from.

[ancoda]

Originally Posted by Mackenzie

His argument doesn't even make sense.

This was my thought too.

I voted, it is at 95% that yes he is wrong.

[annettemarie]

Saying that breastfeeding decreasing obesity is a myth is absolutely an anti-breastfeeding statement, regardless of what else he was harping on.

[Arduinna]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

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

[annettemarie]

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.