breastfeeding and weight gain/ obesity

Question 1

breastfeeding and obesity

Answer 1

Breastfeeding offers a small but consistent protective
effect.
* Can cut chances of child becoming obese by 25% (WHO,
2019; study across 16 countries).
* infants who are bottle-fed are at significantly higher risk
for rapid weight gain compared with infants who are
exclusively breastfed; Rapid weight gain in infancy is
strong predictor of later obesity risk

Question 2

maternal responsiveness and consumption

Answer 2

ventura and Golen 2015-

clear vs opaque bottles

when have opaque bottles, more responsive to baibies cues and dont force more milk onto baby

ventura and hernandez 2019-mums that are less responsive tend to over feed. dont listen to infant cues

Question 3

duration of breastfeeding and obesity

Answer 3

McCroy & Layte (2012) - Does-response r’ship:
* Exclusive BF for 13-25wks = 38% reduction obesity risk
* Exclusive BF for 26+ wks = 51% reduction obesity risk

• Scott et al (2012): 2066 Australian 9-16yr olds
• BF for 6+months associated with decreased risk of
  overweight or obesity
• Controlled for maternal characteristics, level of physical
  activity, caloric intake, screen time, sleep duration
• BUT others find no effects when controlling confounding
  variables

Question 4

possible intervention regarding weight loss and breastfeeding

Answer 4

lactating mothers burn more calories- if you breastfeed for 6 months your weight from childbirth goes back to normal.

this could be an intervention strategy, but this has ethical consideraitons
Schalla, S. C., Witcomb, G. L., & Haycraft, E. (2017).

Question 5

breastfeeding, early nutrition, and adult body weight

Answer 5

Kuban et al., 2014-
Breastfeeding was not associated with adult body fatness taking into account the usual confounding factors. However, after also adjusting for nutritional intake covariates, a protective effect of breastfeeding emerged. Early nutrition needs to be taken into account when examining the long-term health effects of breastfeeding.

Question 6

breastfeeding and obesity

Answer 6

Butte 2001- found breastfeeding was protective factor against obesity. however findings are mixed- Most studies examining the effects of breastfeeding on later obesity have found an insignificant effect.* Breastfeeding was positively associated with later body fatness in two studies.1, 30 A protective effect of breastfeeding on childhood obesity was seen in four studies.25, 26, 40, 43 An effect of breastfeeding on later obesity, if any, is probably weaker than genetic and other environmental factors.

Michels 2007- We did not find that having been breastfed was associated with women’s likelihood of becoming overweight or obese throughout life course. Although breastfeeding promotes the health of mother and child, it is unlikely to play an important role in controlling the obesity epidemic.

Question 7

bottle feeding and obesity-

Answer 7

Oddy 2012- Early nutrition, especially breastfeeding, seems to play a role in reducing the risk of overweight and obesity later in life. Studies show that breastfed infants tend to be leaner than those who are formula-fed. This may be due to differences in growth patterns: breastfed babies usually grow more slowly, which is linked to lower risks of cardiovascular disease and obesity in the future. Formula feeding, on the other hand, often leads to faster growth and earlier fat accumulation, partly because formula has higher protein content than breast milk, which can lead to greater fat storage.

Breastfeeding may help regulate hormones and reduce fat storage, lowering risks of obesity by moderating insulin levels and promoting healthy metabolic development. Thus, breast milk’s unique composition supports a slower, healthier growth trajectory, which may protect against obesity and metabolic syndrome later in life

ventura et al., 2020- Rapid increases in bottle use during the first 6 months postpartum predicted greater risk for obesity at age 6 years via an indirect mediation effect of larger ΔWAZ from birth to later infancy.

Question 8

bottle size

Answer 8

wood et al., 2016- Using a large bottle in early infancy independently contributed to greater weight gain and change in WLZ at the 6-month visit. Although growth in infancy is complex, bottle size may be a modifiable risk factor for rapid infant weight gain and later obesity among exclusively formula-fed infants.

Question 9

Ventura and Bartok 2008

Answer 9

This review summarizes evidence from a variety of disciplines to understand the potential mechanisms underlying this association. One possibility is that this association is spurious and that confounding factors fully or partially explain this association. Additionally, breastfeeding could confer protection by: encouraging the infant’s emerging capabilities of self-regulation of intake; reducing problematic feeding behaviors on the part of caregivers that interfere with the infant’s self-regulation of intake; and providing bioactive factors that regulate energy intake, energy expenditure, and cellular chemistry. These three protective effects may promote slower growth and lower body fat levels in breastfed infants, which reduce risk of overweight and obesity later in life.