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| A closer look at why child obesity rates may be falling |
According to the report, based on a national telephone survey of more than 8,000 parents and caretakers of small children, the percentage of infants still breast-feeding at 6 months increased to 49% in 2010 from 35% in 2000. The percent still breast-feeding at 12 months rose to 27% from 16% in 2000.
A number of studies have found that breast-feeding has health benefits, including that breast-fed babies are less likely to become overweight.
"One of the things that breast-feeding does, besides the possible chemistry that may affect obesity, is that it teaches babies how to eat right and how to stop eating when they're full, instead of when their mother thinks they're full. So I'm not surprised at all that the report mentioned breast-feeding," says Gail Herrine, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia.
"With formula, because it's so expensive, the mother makes a bottle, doesn't want to waste any, and tries to get the baby to take it all in." That sets the stage for teaching children to "stop eating when they're stuffed," Herrine says, "not when they're full."
In spite of the increase in breast-feeding rates, there is still concern that infants are not breast-fed as long as recommended. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises exclusive breast-feeding for about the first six months of a baby's life, followed by breast-feeding in combination with the introduction of complementary foods until at least 12 months of age. Then, breast-feeding can be continued for as long as mutually desired by mother and baby.
NUTRITION
The government's Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is now more in line with the updated dietary guidelines than in the past. The program promotes whole fruits and vegetables instead of juice, which has more sugar, lower-fat milk and breast-feeding.
Even with the improvements in programs such as WIC, it's still a challenge to follow good dietary advice when you're on a limited budget, says Lawrence Cheskin, associate director of the Johns Hopkins Global Center for Childhood Obesity in Baltimore.
"We can talk all we want about eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, but fresh fruits and vegetables are relatively expensive for the amount of calories that they provide, particularly out of season," he says. "And unfortunately, the cheapest foods are often the ones most likely to provide too many calories and too much fat."
Thomas Robinson, director of the Center for Healthy Weight at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., says several other factors may also be contributing to a decline in child obesity. Schools are serving healthier lunches and taking junk food out of vending machines, he says. Some children's hospitals also are not serving fast foods or sugary and sweet beverages. And restaurants' menu labels, which include caloric information, may help parents make decisions about what to order and how often to eat there, he adds.
"All those changes add up," says Robinson, a professor of pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine. "They are changing the environment, which makes it easier for parents to help feed their kids in a healthy way."
