Breastfed kids ‘less likely to get fat’
Breastfed babies are less prone to develop childhood obesity, new research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has found.
The study looked at the data of almost 30,000 children from 22 countries participating in the World Health Organisation Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative. The results show that infants who are never breastfed are 22 per cent more likely to be obese, while those who are exclusively breastfed for at least six months are 25 per cent less prone.
The fact that breastfeeding has a protective effect against various conditions, including obesity, is well known. However, this study further strengthens the evidence and shows that the longer a child is breastfed, the greater the benefit of protection.
The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the age of six months. However, in some situations, bottle and breastfeeding are combined. In fact, children who were breastfed for at least six months – even if they were also bottlefed – still benefitted from a 22 per cent reduced risk of obesity.
The scientific evidence behind this protective effect against obesity, as the researchers suggest, is that as protein-heavy milk formula is mainly derived from cows’...