Perception versus Reality

Good news for moms who can’t, or choose not to breastfeed. As it turns out, you’re not condemning your child to a life of dieting!

A new, independent study out of the Harvard Medical School and published in the International Journal of Obesity finds that whether a mother breastfeeds or not, has no bearing on obesity later in life.

The study is based on data collected from more than 35-thousand women, making it the largest study ever examining breastfeeding and its influence on adult weight. It found that women who were breastfed were not more likely to become overweight or obese in adulthood when compared to women who were not breastfed. Researchers found that while “exclusive breastfeeding (for at least six months) is associated with leaner body shape at five years, this association does not persist into adolescence or adulthood.”

Now we all know that breastfeeding is best; the health benefits are well documented. And the researchers don’t dispute that. But this study is significant when it comes to perceptions. Common perception has perpetuated the thought that if you bottle feed your baby, he/she has a higher liklihood of weight problems in the future. The study’s lead author, Karin Michels, says, "I'm the first to say breast-feeding is good. But I don't think it's the solution to reducing childhood or adult obesity."

So moms...try to breastfeed. But if it doesn't work for you or your child, at least you know you're not sentencing him/her to a life of weight worries.