Hello,

I wanted to add something to the wall with humour and serious too;
(please forgive mistakes vocabular and grammary).

Well as I am French, counceling in breastfeeding, and as I work with a
medical staff in the prevention of children obesity, I may bring you some
elements; I am also training for the exam of lactation consultant dated july
2006, and my memory is: linking breastmilk with prevention of obesity.

We are starting suffering of overweight and obesity, in France, and mostly
since a very few years with the lattest incoming of fastfoods-way of life
(including hamburgers pizzas etc...) and with the coming of "parents having
no time to prepare meals and sit-
down-take-your-game-boy/rubber-teat-and-close-your-mouth".

When we study the cases of overweight children, we note: fastfood, sugars,
and gameboy - and also formula when baby; and also eating sugarless food
(followed by fatless food); because when you eat something-less, the "less"
lacks and the body is in need and will take a copious amount of the "less" a
few hours later; and because when you eat something-less, next time you eat
the "less", your body takes it and keeps it in prevention.

The french governement makes nothing for breastfeeding, it has been since
1998 that I am counceling in breastfeeding, so I feel every day it is hard
because they are under the lobby of formula and the famous "do not make
those who did not breastfeed feel guilty". But for once, the governement
made something very good; they calculated that the present adult obesity
costs a lot to the governement, so it costs a lot to french people who has
to pay.... they had noted our french situation, and also american
situation -because we very often follow the american ways of life but mostly
10 years later- and the french teams noticed that we would have the risk of
very larger troubles in the next 10 years - means the risk to have the
american situation in the next 10 years; they decided to fight against
children obesity (they also do against adult obesity but their big-big-big
action is against children obesity); they expend a lot of money with
advertisings on TV: prefer a fruit rather than a sugar-dessert; move; well
the people has also to pay but it costs much less than diseases linked to
obesity... all this to avoid the rates to rise; and maybe to cure those who
are overweight.

In our pilot city, all the children were weighted, measures, + family + kind
of life... .... and there is a very large team, with a lot of doctors all
involved ---if I could manage so that they all are involved in prevention of
obesity since the birth..... :-) so a large team with a pedestrian
specialized in obesity, psychologists, dietetics of course, and sports
managers (they do not propose any sport like we automatically think but
activities with balls for example, throwing it, getting it back, it is not
handball, not volley ball, there is no spirit of competition, it is to make
them move- a preparation for later;

Coming back to the "normal" situation, there is not "so much" obesity in
France, I think there are several causes which all together, help a lot;

For example, because we eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, we take 3 real 
meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and sit at the table with no TV;
Maybe also we use the car less than in the USA -sorry it is my only
comparison; I spent a few months over there, and I could see different 
behaviors by my friends considering food,
meals-and walk!

Lately in 2001 I spent a few weeks by a couple of friends; I love them and I
suffered a lot for them as they live (lived!) in New Orleans; but their 
astonishment because we went by foot from Fontainebleau
to French Quarter quite each day was not the biggest difference; they were
astonished that we propose to go to the supermarket and buy food and/or help 
prepararing dinner; they never
take any meal at home except on saturday morning, it is THEIR break. All day
long except saturday morning, they eat some cereals, then donnuts, or 
fries.. I really love them,
their friends, their family, I have known my friend in 1987! she is my
oldest best friend; she is wonderful, always here, making her possible to
make you happy...  but their way to nourrish themselves is more than
different cultures.... :-) And maybe this kind of nourrishing, eating a part
of something, eating a part of something else, elements-free, not moving, no
social moment sitting at the table, "helps" in overweight;

Margi talks of the book "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille
Guiliano.  I have not read it, but I have heard of it a lot; in fact there
is no magic at all:
Having a food program, including maximum fruits and/or vegetables, daring
say "no you won't have fries twice a week", and taking the time to rest at
the table, meals are social indeed, Margi noted that; each one sits down;
how was your time of maths today at school? what about judo, have you
improved your movement? I remember I used to work as classified so I could
not tell my husband what I had done; but there was always some thing to say;
Maybe take a portion once but not twice.

But at the same time, we must admit that overweight is beginning to rise in
France, in those family cells with: no hours, no social meals, all fastfood
or meals-ready-just-put-it-into-microwave, no fruits, long time in front of
the screen/tv/gameboy;

I just hope we make a very good job in the pilot cities so it could be
extended in all France; it starts by: eat your vegetables/fruits and throw
away the gameboy and say "no, but it is for your own good". It is not always
easy; fruits are very expensive, if you buy them at the supermarket; one
should buy them by the producer but when living in town, not easy; it also
looks so easy to put-a-pizza-into-the-microwave-because-I-work. Well I spend
a lot of hours at counceling everyday; So I peel my vegetables in the
kitchen, while children start their lessons; they recitate their lessons;
then when it is being cooked, I go in the living room with children and I
ask the questions and explain to the children; sometimes I am the very bad
ugly woman who says "no you won't have any sweet" or "no we won't go the mac
d....."... and we expended a lot of money paying their year for school of
swimming and club of judo for the three children; We will go to Beijing and 
Brisbane much later than hoped....
it does not matter.

So to give you a idea of the situation in weight: good basis, good receipts,
good wines (2 glasses not 3) but in danger to rise; and the behavior of the
parents will be very important - social behavior;

Considering breastfed children, oh dear..... you were visiting not
in-the-last position-country-for-breastfeeding but the one before!
Our rates are still low, because:
the international code of breastmilk substitute was recognized but not part
with the bottles and teats....
some people find a lot of interest by letting promote formulas as "equal to
breast milk" or "the most equal to breast milk"...
also most of the health actors (doctors, nurses, pedestrian) have no ideal
of what breastfeeding is, nore breastmilk, they have no formation at all....
no one dares to promote breastmilk; the given reason is :"we should not make
the women who did not breastfeed feel guilty"; this is so important for
everyone, that no one thinks to promote breastmilk to the futur babies....
there is a question of money, formula generates to much money;
because, because, because.... really a lot of causes which prevent promoting
breastmilk.

So if we have maybe 58% of breastfeeding at birth (the rate has been rising
in the next 5 years), believe it is not exclusif breastfeeding, nurses in
hospital give formulas in bottles of course, and at 8 days of age, the rate
has already falled down; at 1 month, when things begin to be good, it is
return to work with everything except councels to continue (women have no
idea they could try to continue)... so another step for weaning-weaning the
mother would have wished to continue.

If you have a televisual situation with breast as sex symbols, you can
understand women do not breastfeed outside; they do not dare, they are
afraid of the behavior of the others; I had made several analysis about
breastfeeding in public, I made an exhibition of pictures, which turns in
France and is on internet and CD-rom; I do not know if it is proper to
France, but breasts = sex = erotic; if you add a guy (Rufo) who is psycho
specialised in children, who said breastfeeding was sexual abuse....

So lack of formation of doctors, nurses, midwives.....+ difficulties to 
start lactation giving formula, using bottles, having no
councel, add sexual erotic image of the breasts,
You understand easily that you may see very few breastfed babies in France;
Believe me, we work hard...

But we do not have the facilities of formula-companies..... ; they have
people very well paid, who create such nice advertisings for magazines and
TV.... with slogans which should rather be attached to breast milk than
formula.... imagine the magazines for parents, they exist only with the
money of formula; one ad per page; no promotion for breastmilk; and when
there is an article about breastfeeding it is always: using, tiring, the
article contains one fault at least; and their argument: their formula is as
good as breastmilk; equal or quasi-equal; I know some midwives who received
commercials, they were said their new formula was equal, really true, and
could avoid illnesses... they are BELIEVED. "So tell me why a woman would
make the effort to breastfeed if the formula is totally equal; and the
father can give the bottle..."

And at the same time, maybe through Internet, more and more women breastfeed
longer, it means we still have brutal weanings in the firts week, and at the
end of the first month, but more women continue even they resume working;
also more and more mothers of twins breastfeed in exclusive (very hard in
France... believe me); children from 12-15 months are also more breastfed;

Breatsfeeding rates in general are rising but still too low to be 
measurable.

And of course, the no-breastfeeding goes with rubber-teats, children hanging
their bottles filled since 3 or 4 hours of formula and so on....

Well if I dared, I would add: rendez-vous in 10 years to make the point
about obesity/overweight and breastfeeding rates..... :-)
And if one day, people show me french rates of breastfeeding as wonderful as
present rates in Norway /Sweden.... I promise I open a bottle of very good
champagne or Châteauneuf du Pape and drink the whole bottle to celebrate it;

Breast wishes,

Francoise Coudray
President of ADJ+ (Breast feeding Of the Twins and More)
http://www.allaitement-jumeaux.com/
http://www.allaitement-jumeaux.com/expo2001/  230 photographs of breastfed
babies

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