Many locals feel it is unfair to "deprive" their babies/toddlers of sugary
drinks that they and their older children enjoy. This area boasts huge
obesity and diabetes rates, as is typical of many Appalachian communities.
We are well over the national 15% obesity rate for children under the age of
18.

Ironically, I see moms in the clinic all the time with koolaid bottles for
their babies. The clinic is where you qualify for food stamps and WIC
(formula vouchers), so I have a difficult time believing that free formula
will keep the mothers from feeding koolaid to their babies. It is almost
entirely this population (young, under-educated, un-wealthy), and I don't
think they realize what it does to their own bodies, let alone their baby's.

Koolaid costs about $0.20 for a 2-quart packet to which you add 1 cup of
sugar.

I would imagine peer pressure has something to do with the nutrition for the
baby. A broad sweep of the broom would see a bunch of teen moms at the mall,
not too worried about soda in a baby bottle. But, a middle class mom at
playgroup wouldn't dare face the wrath of her friends. 

Best wishes,
Sam Doak


<<What we need is proper research in our own individual settings - do 
mothers these days regularly give inappropriate fluids to their 
babies and does the provision of free formula reduce this happening?>>

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