Breast-feeding combats obesity (Community Voices)

The alarming increase in the number of overweight people has affected children of all ages and socioeconomic groups.

Among low income children aged 2 to 5 in California, rates are higher than the national average. Nearly one in five is overweight and an additional one in six is at risk for being overweight.

Given that weight control programs are typically ineffective among children and weight reduction programs are contraindicated in young children, preventive interventions for our youngest children are critical tools for turning this epidemic around.

Scientific evidence has shown that breast-feeding, especially when infants are breast-fed exclusively for more than three months, reduces the risk for obesity.

Breast-fed infants may be better at self-regulating their intake. Mothers can't see how much milk their child is drinking, so they rely on their infant's behavior, not an empty bottle, to signal when their infant is full. Thus breast-fed babies might be better able to regulate their own intake.

Breast-fed infants are more likely than formula-fed infants to try and to accept new foods.

Acceptance of new foods is important because a healthy diet should include a wide variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

Because breast milk contains flavors from foods eaten by the mother, breast-fed infants are exposed to a variety of tastes very early in life. In contrast, all infant formula tastes the same.

Breast-feeding has different effects than formula feeding on infant's metabolism and on hormones such as insulin, which tells the body to store fat.

The breast-feeding-obesity link is now recognized by key government agencies and professional groups, from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Experts at the CDC in Atlanta estimate that 15 percent to 20 percent of obesity could be prevented through breast-feeding.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months and continued breast-feeding with the addition of appropriate foods, up to at least 1 year of age. Increasing breast-feeding in California would mean between 36,000 to 48,000 fewer overweight children and adolescents.

The Women, Infant and Children Program serves as a primary source of breast-feeding support and nutrition education for low-income women in California.

The local Community Action WIC Program has certified lactation educators and consultants to provide breast-feeding education and support. We provide breast-feeding classes at all our WIC sites which are located throughout Kern County.

A quote from the book "The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living" is illustrative: "It begins at birth. Our very first act after birth is to suck our mother's milk. This is an act of affection, of compassion. Without that act, we cannot survive. That's clear. That's the way of life. That's reality."

Priya Khullar of Bakersfield is a registered dietitian and lactation consultant with the WIC Program. Community Voices is an expanded commentary that may contain up to 500 words, and is part of The Bakersfield Californian's Opinion section. The Californian reserves the right to reprint commentaries in all formats, including on its Web page.

Originally posted at http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/story/436319.html on Monday, May 5, 2008.

Nutrition: Raising Bakersfield

Breast-feeding combats obesity (Community Voices)