Sorry that the address didn't work, I did check it before sending to list.
Here is the article:
Breastfeeding Not the Key to Quick Fat Loss
Tue Sep 14, 2004 11:21 AM ET
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By Charnicia E. Huggins
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For new mothers trying to lose those extra
pounds, breastfeeding may not be the surefire answer that many women
consider it to be, according to two Cincinnati researchers.
In their study, all women -- whether they breastfed or not -- lost body fat
after giving birth. However, the moms who did not breastfeed lost weight
quicker during the first six months after delivery than did breastfeeding
mothers.
"It is important that women are aware that, although there are many
advantages to breastfeeding, faster loss of the fat gained during pregnancy
is not likely to be one of those advantages," study author Dr. Karen S.
Wosje, of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center told Reuters
Health.
Despite anecdotal evidence cited by some women, conflicting reports exist
about the link between breastfeeding and postpartum weight loss. In one
study, researchers reported greater weight loss among breastfeeding mothers
up to 12 months after delivery in comparison to mothers who did not
breastfeed. In another, no such association was found.
In the current study, Wosje and co-author Dr. Heidi J. Kalkwarf monitored
the body composition of a total of 326 lactating and nonlactating women to
determine the effect of breastfeeding on postpartum weight loss. About half
that number were also randomly assigned to take a calcium supplement, which
some researchers have said may also promote weight and fat loss after
delivery.
The team found that the loss of overall body fat, as well as fat in the
arms and legs occurred at a faster rate among women who did not breastfeed
than among those who did, and calcium supplementation did not affect the
reduction in fat mass.
Yet, all of the women, regardless of their breastfeeding status, lost fat
in their trunk area -- the chest, stomach and pelvic region -- during the
study period, which lasted from two weeks to six months after delivery,
Wosje and Kalkwarf report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"Women who did not breastfeed lost fat, not weight, at a faster rate than
women who breastfed," Wosje said. The reason for this is unknown, but Wosje
speculates that the "non-breastfeeding women were restricting their calorie
intake in the effort to lose weight, whereas breastfeeding women did not
restrict calorie intake because they presumed they would lose weight by
breastfeeding."
The extra body fat gained during pregnancy is typically deposited in the
thighs and trunk, which, research shows, seems to be the primary energy
sources used to support women's breastfeeding. This might explain the
finding that breastfeeding women seemed to use the energy in their trunk
and leg fat but gained fat in their arms, whereas the non-breastfeeding
women were able to reduce their overall percentage of body fat as well as
lose fat in specific areas.
"It is possible that the small increase in arm fat of the breastfeeding
women was part of the overall shifting of fat stores that occurs during
breastfeeding," Wosje said. "We do not know if the arm fat gain persists
beyond six months post-childbirth."
Another possible reason breastfeeding mothers did not lose more fat or
weight than mothers who did not breastfeed may involve their increased
levels of the hormone prolactin. Research shows that this hormone not only
stimulates milk production early in lactation but also stimulates the
appetite of breastfeeding women.
Breastfeeding is still better for the health of the infant, however, as
various studies have shown that breastfed babies are less likely to be
underweight or overweight and are less susceptible to disease than formula-
fed babies. But based on the current study's findings, mothers should not
choose the breast over the bottle as a means of quickly losing the fat
gained during pregnancy.
"Mothers should choose to breastfeed their infants for reasons other than
achievement of faster fat loss," Wosje said.
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2004.
© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Ellen Penchuk, IBCLC, RLC
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