Breastfeeding and Weight

Does a breastfed baby have a lower chance of battling obesity later in life?

Study after study backs the benefits of breastfeeding for mother and child. But now, a brand new report suggests breastfeeding may not help in one important area the battle against obesity.

The study included nearly 14-thousand infants…born at 31 different hospitals…who were followed for more than a decade.

At an average age of 11-and-a-half, the children who had been exclusively breastfed for a minimum of the first three months of life did not see a measurable benefit in the weight department.

There was no significant difference in the percentage of overweight or obese kids when comparing the breastfed group with a control group.

But the researchers are quick to point out that breastfeeding still had many other benefits, including fewer gastrointestinal infections and less atopic eczema in infancy. Improved cognitive development at age 6.5 years was also found in the study participants.

The take home? Breast feeding provides a fantastic start…but does not appear to offer long lasting effects that will ward off obesity.