Breastfeeding Debate

There have been studies conducted to find out what has caused or what the leading factors to obesity are. Researchers are currently still doing research to find out what causes or what may be the lead to obesity. Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition which considers a child to be obese if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. (Rendall., Weden, Lau, Brownell, Nazarov & Fernandes, 2014). Obesity is on a rise in the Unites States and all over the world and can lead or result to other health complications later in life. The crucial breakdown serves as an implication of outlining childhood obesity, collaborating problems of the disease and resolutions, as well as applying critical thinking to give a complete approach to deliver information on childhood obesity. This will be done through citation of scholarly articles, samples and other modes of supporting details.

Thesis Statement: While there are many causes of childhood obesity, most are, in fact, preventable.

It was recommended that infants be breastfed exclusively for at least 6 months as this reduces the risk for obesity, furthermore, there is evidence that shows that for every month of breastfeeding, the child’s risk of becoming overweight reduces by 4 per cent. In similar studies, it is recommended that introduction to solid foods be delayed until at least 4 months, however, 6 months is preferred, this significantly reduces the risk for obesity. The average age of introduction to solid food was 20.49 weeks, which resulted in a healthy BMI at aged 10 years-old, and 18.67 weeks resulted in a higher BMI at aged 10 years-old. ‘A good start in early life means supporting mothers and young children: the health impact of early development and education lasts a lifetime’ (Wilkinson & Marmot 2003, p. 14).

This paper will explore and discuss the rising issue of childhood obesity by using published books and articles. I will explore five different factors that correlate to possible beliefs of childhood obesity. The factors that I will discuss include: parenting, education, technology, marketing, and the Fat-Gene theory. There has not been one specific cause to childhood obesity but there are underlying effects that can be harmful to children from 2-19 years of age. The

Obesity in the U.S is at an all-time high. Studies have shown that if any breast feeding happened during infancy, there is a 15%-30% reduction in young and adult obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics, in a section on breastfeeding, explains why there’s a decrease in obesity:

In the article, Dr. Richard Visser presents three important factors that can affect children in the early development stages of their life: breastfeeding, home environment and activities, and toddler nutrition. He provides some interesting facts relating from childhood obesity to future adults. He says that the increase in childhood obesity will shorten the average American lifespan by two to five years and then commented that, “This will make our children’s generation the first group to die younger than their parents”(Children’s Health 3). He goes on to talk about breastfeeding expressing the importance of breastfeeding an infant for a longer period of time. There are nutrients in breastmilk that are essential for an infant because it has

Not only is breast milk easily digested and strengthens an infant 's immune system, “Exclusive breastfeeding may also be modestly protective against excessive early infant gain and later obesity, whereas formula feeding may increase the risk of obesity in childhood” (Rossiter, 2015, p. 2049). Childhood obesity, which can persist into later adulthood, has also been linked to other conditions such as type II diabetes and hypertension. According to a study published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal, “Limited evidence suggests that infants who received formula or a combination of formula and breast milk were at comparable risk of being overweight or obese at age 2–6 years, when compared to infants who were exclusively breastfed” (Rossiter, 2015, p. 2049). In a cross-sectional, population-based study of fifth-grade students in Nova Scotia, Canada, parents were asked to report infant feeding practices, “defined using two variables 1) breastfeeding duration and 2) time until formula was introduced” (Rossiter, 2015, p. 2049). With regards to the students, their nutrition, physical activity, and weight were investigated. “In 2011, 22 % of grade 5 students in Nova Scotia (aged 10–11 years) were overweight and 12 % were obese. Thirty-four percent of children were breastfed for less than 1 week or never...” (Rossiter, 2015, p. 2050).

Early childhood is an extremely critical stage in the process of childhood obesity. Excess weight early in a child’s life increases the risk of obesity and chronic disease. (Natale, et al., 2013).

Even though breastfed children are known to be healthier, it has been questioned what has caused children to become obese. There is an alarming concern for obese children who were breastfed, or formula fed, and also for those who were breastfed by a diabetic mother, other who were breastfed by a healthy mother, and/or formula fed. As the Health of American Children stated, “We are pressured to find, if in fact, breastfeeding is causing children to be overweight.” Parents may find more information about this important issue. Two articles talked about this issue, “Does breastfeeding reduce the risk of Pediatric Overweight?” published in the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division of Nutrition and Physical

Making the commitment to breastfeed is a direct matter. Breastmilk is by far the best for a baby and the advantages of breastfeeding expand well over basic nutrition. Breastfeeding supply natural antibodies that help the baby resist illnesses such as ear infections. It’s normally better digested than formula, meaning breastfed babies usually less grassy and constipated.

Feeding the baby is a way to bond with the baby. The first few months the baby should be breast fed or bottle fed only. Solids are introduced to the baby only later on months. Breast feeding the baby is a wonderful experience for both mom and the baby. Feeding is a source of comfort and food for the baby. Always make sure that you have every thing in place before you start feeding your baby a comfortable chair to sit in and an extra pillow while you hold and feed the baby propped in your arms. Feeding the baby by holding in your arms is an enjoyable time to interact with your baby. It is always good to have a cup of water close to the chair where you are feeding your baby incase you might want to get a sip of water. Always sit comfortably while feeding your baby so that you and the baby will be able to relax during feeding.

The idea that reduced exposure to germs and microorganisms increases chances of autoimmune disease remain, but researchers are looking at all the possibilities and broaden the border on the term hygiene. For example, The British Medical Journal published an article by W. H. Oddy investigating the association between breastfeeding and autoimmune/allergic disorders. Oddy hypothesized that infants are strengthening their immune system by contact with microbes through a mother's breast milk. Meaning when mothers are overconcerned about cleanliness many will give their baby formula depriving them of the necessary and natural bacteria. Information concerning the research of breastfeeding was gathered from several surveys given to the same family

As we learned in module, experts can have a large impact on a new mother’s decision in regards to breastfeeding. We can provide them with the most update to date information that can result with good health outcomes for both the child and the mother. After reading the article perpetuating “Scientific Motherhood”: Infant feeding discourse in parents magazine, 1920-2007, I found it interesting how media can also play such a role in people life decisions. As the study stated that although there were limitations such as it only looked at parents magazine, it showed the change and correlation in percentages of breastfeeding mothers, as “experts” changed their minds from promoting bottle feeding to breastfeeding (Foss, 2010).

Obesity, a pandemic and a seemingly minimal prevention manner through breastfeeding. the relationship may not be evident however research has shown an interesting relationship amongst the two. The choice to breastfeed may play a key role in preventing the development of obesity in offspring. Data that has been collected over decades has substantially increased the knowledge behind this phenomenon of growth factors that are present in the natural substance produced by the mammaries, such as IGF-I, adiponectin, ghrelin, obestatin and resistin, which are directly involved in the regulation of consumption and energy balance. The presence of these various growth factors, hormones and cytokines allows breast milk to have unique qualities that

Statistical Product and Service Solutions for Windows (SPSS) 12.0 software package and SAS 8.0 software. SPSS 12.0 was used for all statistical analysis except linear regression which used SAS 8.0.