Does breastfeeding really prevent babies from being overweight later in life?

[Zwillingsmama]

I've tried to find out about this on the internet but I keep getting contradicting studies.
One will say breastfeeding prevents babies from becoming overweight, another one says it doesn't.... :

Does anyone know of studies on this that are a bit more accurate?

The reason I want to know is, because I am tired of having to explain to people that my kids are not OVERWEIGHT. They're little sumo wrestlers even though they are actually preemies, they are so much bigger than the other babies their age. Which is not a problem but I keep getting these stupid comments from people.
Why is it that people nowadays are starting to project this perfect body obsession on little babies??

[MonkeysRUs]

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns...t-toomuch.html

The above link has some good info that might help you.

[Momtwice]

IIRC the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (book from LLL) mentions that chubby babies are healthy and why.

Babies NEED fat for their brains to grow! When sumo babies start to toddle and then run they tend to burn it off.

[Caden's Mom]

Originally Posted by Momtwice

IIRC the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (book from LLL) mentions that chubby babies are healthy and why.

Babies NEED fat for their brains to grow! When sumo babies start to toddle and then run they tend to burn it off.

Exactly! DS was in the 75-100th percentile of his weight at his 6 month visit (and only in the 50th percentile for height). At almost 17 months, his weight has leveled off and he is now in the 50th percentile for it!

[SashaBear]

Baby fat is not real fat, like adults and children have. Real fat cells never go away. Once they are made, they can only shrink but they are still there. Baby fat cells can go away which is why a big baby does not mean a big child/adult.

Breastmilk also has leptin in it which tells the baby when they are full.

[CathMac]

"Breastmilk also has leptin in it which tells the baby when they are full."

Originally Posted by SashaBear

Baby fat is not real fat, like adults and children have. Real fat cells never go away. Once they are made, they can only shrink but they are still there. Baby fat cells can go away which is why a big baby does not mean a big child/adult.

Breastmilk also has leptin in it which tells the baby when they are full.

SashaBear,
Thanks for the BF'ing factoid. I knew that BF'ing babies self-regulate their feeding in a way that FFed babies don't but I thought it was a combination of the foremilk hindmilk ratios and the fact that they have to work (nurse) for their food. But now I know it may have something to do with Leptin.

This may also explain the rumor that formula companies are working on adding an appetite suppressant. Can you imagine how much harder that would make it for the bottle giver to make sure DC finishes the bottle so that last ounce or so isn't wasted?
~Cath

[nyxx]

Originally Posted by CathMac

This may also explain the rumor that formula companies are working on adding an appetite suppressant.

this is not only a rumor.
here are studies (with rats!) about it:
http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/co...t/00676.2006v1
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/va.../0803585a.html

articles:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/s...579725,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/s...063211,00.html

[GatorNNP]

The studies have noted an association but not a causal relationship with breastmilk. I sometimes wonder if breastfeeding helps teach a child to decide what they take in and when they take in food. They haven't sorted out the milk from the style of feeding the parents do when the child is older either, which I think may have more to do with an adults weight than breastmilk vs. formula which is of course my own opinion, makes you wonder though if you are willing to believe your 4 month old knows when he is full that your 4 year old knows when they are full.

[ohiomommy1122]

MY DD was 100% BF and was OFF THE CHARTS she waS such a chunky baby she just now at 14 months dropped onto the chart at 95% shes thinning out now but ya I used to get sooooooooooo pissed at peoples comments " maybe you should stop feeding her " WHAT??? bf babies don't overeat they control the milk flow or "maybe you milk is just to fattening why dont you pump and dilluite it, or just giver her water"


Americas obsession w/ weight has gone TO FAR when they worry about babies being to fat!

[ohiomommy1122]

Originally Posted by nyxx

this is not only a rumor.
here are studies (with rats!) about it:
http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/co...t/00676.2006v1
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/va.../0803585a.html

articles:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/s...579725,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/s...063211,00.html

WHAT HOW OBSERD


Edited to say- now that i think about it why would a formula company do this anyway- this would mean babies eat less which means they buy less formula doesnt make sence from a business standpoint!

[katheek77]

This one says the researchers think it's an associative relationship, not a causal one...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070629/...g311TVfQLVJRIF

[nyxx]

Originally Posted by katheek77

This one says the researchers think it's an associative relationship, not a causal one...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070629/...g311TVfQLVJRIF

a quote from the original study mentioned at your article:

Conclusions: The protective association of breastfeeding with mean total fat mass was attenuated somewhat after adjustment for confounders, which indicated that confounding may explain this association. Breastfeeding may protect against obesity if maintained for 6 mo.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/6/1578

[leila1213]

I am always skeptical of studies that talk about "BF vs. FF" babies. What does that mean? A lot of times the BF babies were only BF for a couple months. Then what were they on? .... Formula!!

[NaomiMcC]

Exactly leila1213....BFing has absolutely NOTHING to do with whether or not a child will be obese later in life. It has to do with a healthy diet and exercise. As long as kids lay off the chips and chocolate bars and other crap, get away from the television and get off their fannies to go outside and play, they'll be just fine.

[hibana]

Uh, I don't think I've ever met an obese or seriously overweight person who was ebf for 6 months and nursed for at least 2 years... heck, I think all the people I know who were fed that way are in great shape and excellent health! But then, they were also raised with healthy, active lifestyles. :

[MidwifeErika]

Originally Posted by hibana

Uh, I don't think I've ever met an obese or seriously overweight person who was ebf for 6 months and nursed for at least 2 years... heck, I think all the people I know who were fed that way are in great shape and excellent health! But then, they were also raised with healthy, active lifestyles. :

Hi! We should meet! I am obese and was breastfed until I was 3, exclusively until about 9 months old.

[MidwifeErika]

It is really amazing to me that people look at babies and small children and assume that the fat they have on them from breastmilk is setting them up to be fat adults. My middle child was a chunky, chunky, chunky boy. He was 26 lbs at 6 months, but only 5th percentile for height. I guess there was some family members on my husband's side who were very concerned that we were creating a child with a life long weight problem by breastfeeding him so often and "allowing" him to get so heavy. Ridiculous! At 3 he is 33lbs and 75% for height, so he is right in the average mix. The fat that a child has from breastmilk is so different from the fat they would have from coke and french fries, you know?