Valerie wrote:
"We have no studies that I know of that show that "exclusive" breastfeeding
contributes to a rapid weight gain in infancy
that causes obesity.  In fact I would say that the evidence points directly
away from "exclusive" breastfeeding as a link to obesity."

I haven't read the study mentioned before, but I can't help think that if bf
is the biological norm why should we worry about it causing obesity in later
life? It just doesn't fit from a biological point of view. It's like saying
breastfeeding causes jaundice in the first week (instead of
'breast-underfeeding' - i.e. Gartners arguments). I believe there are many
more diet / behavioural aspects to worry about. I'm not saying we should
ignore these studies but should sure be very critical about them. Such a
study seems to me very hard to design as, ok you can find babies who are
exlusively bf for 6 months, but what happens when different mothers
introduce different foods etc etc?

Sara Bernard
The Netherlands
(getting defensive over my fast gaining podgy babies)

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