Bottle fed babies who start weaning early are more likely to be obese children-new research

[moondog]

\link{http:www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/07/nbaby07.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/07/ixhome.html\Here}

No surprises there then.

What exactly is the point of this ???

I have 3 bottle fed kids, all weaned at arond 4/5 mths and non of them are even chubby.

I just don't see what this is meant to achieve other than trying to make people feel guilty or like a peice of crap cos they didn't breastfeed.

GDG - that's what I meant - anecdotal comments are frowned upon here but we are people the same as the people in the studies - just cos we ain't in the study doesn't mean our experience doesn't count

I think the basis for this research comes from the theory that:

Some mothers who bottlefeed are overly anxious about their babies having the exact amount as said on the tin.

Mothers who breastfeed cannot gauge how much their baby feeds each time and therefore cannot overfeed the baby.

With that theory in mind, the assumption is that the anxious mother is likely to wean earlier to make sure her baby is feeding enough thus from an early age overdoing the calorie intake and it continuing through to childhood.

Whilst i do feel that there more of an element of worry with bottle feeding because you can see how much they are or arent feeding I just dont buy in to this theory personally.

Its not a large enough study since 3/4 of the population are bottlefed from 4 months onwards.

Oh I see TH

Maybe my boys are slim cos I weaned late.....or maybe it's in their genes and the fact that they never sit still??

GDG, that's a good point about fat children. I know one little boy who is fat at dd's school but most are average.
I'm gonna put our statistics as i think WE are all real people too so it counts.

Dp (and his 5 brothers and sisters) were all breastfed and are all very overweight.
Me -bottlefed and always been slim
dd1-bottle fed- slim
dd2 bottlefed and normal chubby baby. (chubby as in gorgeous babyness-not fat)

They're rolling 'em out eh Hunker??
Turniphead,what a marvellously apt epithet you have!

but is it to do with socio-economics too?

Much higher bfing rates amongst educated, affluent sections of society than the poorer, uneducated - who are less likely to be aware of good nutrition....?

could (notice "could" not "will") also apply to breastfed children who are fed crap and left to play of gameboys/Xboxes etc all day and have limited exercise!

there again this could also apply to any childen either bottle or breast who have lifestyles like this - no denying the evidence/research on that either.

Ahhh, so what we are saying is - forget whether a child is formula fed or breast fed, but excess calories + lack of exercise = fat kid?

Well, someone peel me up off the floor!

So then, I think we can safely say its another pile of old crap then?

Er, yep

Good, I'll sleep soundly tonight.

my dd and ds both hover between 75 and 91 for weight and both off the top of the chart for height. dd bottlefed and weaned at 4 months, ds excl bf and weaned at 7 months (still bfs loads at 18 mnths). what does that mean?

mojomummy your post has depressed me. Because although I was breastfed until 4.5 months (although well on solids by that point) I was a hugely fat baby so I must have loads of fat cells hanging around waiting to expand.

My two were breastfed and I think DD is probably on the small side. 27lbs at 22 months and average height? DS also average height and 44 lbs at age 5.

Exactly GDG. That is what its about. If people worried about and did more to help older children eating and exercising more rather than what milk they were given for the first 6 months of life then it would be time well spent.

I just get fed up with all this crap about bottle v breast it gets on my tits (pardon the pun) and I think it should stop. This subject is one that really spoils MN for me. Just let people be.

ROFLMAO @ 'gets on my tits'!! Ahh, I'm easily pleased!

Helsi, I agree. Why are people so bloody annoying about it?

thank you moondog

turnips have notoriously thick skin, comes in very useful

we're also known for our sense of humour

and smiles

Agree with your comments helsi and GDG

The words 'dog' and 'bone' comes to mind.
If you made a choice you were happy with,why do you need to constantly justify it.
I am genuinely puzzled.....

not always a choice to bottlefeed, actually.

monndog - I'm genuinely puzzled about why you started this thread. Your OP say's that the findings of this study are not surprising, so why even bother with it?

If you read the thread properly,you may be able to put two and two together.

Maybe not though.

I don't think it is a matter of justifying decisions. What annoys me and spoils this site for me is the way in which some mothers are made to feel because of their choices or the way that some opinions are constantly rammed down people's throats and I am sorry but it does happen. Not only about feeding methods either!

I am not taking sides at all as I have seen both bottle and breast supporters treated in an inadequate manner and it should not go on at all.

I also think the subtle ways in which it is done needs to stop too. We are not all green and can see through the sly digs that are there from time to time.

Helsi..your paranoia is alarming to say the least.
Calm down dear.

I have read the thread moondog. Do you have to be so bloody rude? It was a genuine question.