Studies Link Breastfeeding to Lowered Risk of Obesity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 32% of adults in the U.S. were obese in 2004. Obesity in adults is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. Obesity has become an epidemic as rates have more than doubled among both children and adults in the last 20 years. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of a variety of health conditions including diabetes (type 2), hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis and some cancers. We know that when children are obese they are more likely to become obese adults. Research shows us that breastfeeding is the first step toward the prevention of overweight and obesity. Experts believe that the way breastfeeding helps prevent obesity may be due in part to the following facts:

• Breastfed infants stop feeding when they are full. They take the amount of milk that they need when they need it, and the mother's body accommodates this. Formula fed infants however are more likely to be "over fed" as there is a tendency to "finish the bottle".
• Higher blood concentrations of insulin are found in formula fed infants compared to breastfed infants. The hormone insulin promotes fat storage.

For more information on the Obesity Epidemic visit the CDC's website.

To find more on the link between breastfeeding and obesity see this list of references.

upcoming meetings

PLEASE JOIN US! We meet on the first Thursday of each month from 9-10:30a.m. at the Health Care Agency
2240 E. Gonzales Rd. Ste. 200
Oxnard CA 93036
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events

The Natural Laws of Breastfeeding: New Paradigms and Tools
Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC
September 19, 2008

3rd Annual Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Awards
August 2008