You must all be aware that the breastfed children do have a reduced risk of gaining weight during their childhood. It has remained an unexplained question in front of the researchers as to why and how it happens. Studies on the association of breastfeeding with the tendency of not gaining weight in later in life are on the way. The researchers are associating the abilities of keeping the weight off in breastfed kids to their dieting and lifestyle habits.
It is largely believed that various maternal characteristics and the choice of the mothers drive them to breastfeed their kids. Studies conducted among the mothers of the kids from Europe pointed to the fact that the mothers who thought breastfeeding to be healthier than formula feeds chose to breastfeed. The kids who were breastfed were spent more time on activities involving physical endurance and consumed healthier food like fruits more often that the kids who were not breastfed. The choice of healthier diet and lifestyle of the kids of such mothers seemed influenced from the mothers’ way of choosing diet and lifestyle.
Earlier studies have also pointed out to various associations between breast feeding and eating habits of the kids. Cooke from London observed a better fruits and vegetables consumption behavior among the breastfed kids of ages between 2 to 6 years. Toschke from Norway had observed that breastfed kids spent lesser time in front of the television and consumed fruits more often as compared to non breastfed kids. However Victora and others did not find any association between the diet and lifestyle of 18 years old and the fact that they were breastfed when they were young.
All the studies conducted in this regard sufficiently indicate to a strong association between the breastfeeding and the tendency to gain weight amount kids in their childhood. The maternal characteristics and their choice of diet and lifestyle hugely affect the diet and lifestyle of the kids especially till the time they gain maturity.
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