The cute chubby cheeks always win your heart but they can be hinting towards your baby’s future health as well. As per a recent study, your baby’s health greatly depends on what you feed him during his early days. If go by World Health Organisation, infant obesity is on the rise and has turned to one of the most solemn public health challenges.
Obesity, which was once prominent in preschoolers and kids above age 5, has now become a common phenomenon in babies less than 1 year of age. Experts believe that the primary cause behind this increased rate of obesity in infant is formula feeding.
Formula Feeding and Obesity: What Connects the Two?
Researchers from all over the world have established a link between infant’s formula feeding with his future health and obesity. It has been observed that with formula feeding, babies are being fed with more of protein than what is required by their body. This apparently results in obesity as the child continues to grow.
Let us here understand how formula feeding triggers obesity in infants, here check out the facts related to formula feeding and stoutness:
1. Lack of self-regulation when it comes to energy intake
When a baby is breastfeed, his brain sends a signal when the stomach is full and the baby stops suckling. This signal as sent by brain is called satiety cue. In case of formula feeding, the baby is encouraged to finish the bottle, which often overrules the satiety cue. While breastfeeding helps babies to control their intake depending on satiety cues, formula feeding completely lacks it. Babies who are formula fed never really get to develop the self-regulation in regards to food intake. They thus take in calories more than needed and the result is excess of weight.
2. Speedy weight gain during babyhood
Babies fed with formula milk gain quick weight during first 4 months of his life and this increases the risk of infancy obesity. If go by the different studies as conducted, nearly 20% of obese adults had a speedy weight gain in between birth and 4 months of age. It may sound fascinating to see the baby gaining weight quickly but as formula feeding doesn’t encourage satiety cues, it can only worsen the situation.
3. High levels of Plasma insulin
Baby’s who are fed with formula milk have higher levels of plasma insulin and long-standing insulin retort at 6 days of age. This high level of insulin is linked with greater risk of Type 2 diabetes in future. It can even stimulate a larger disposition for development of adipose tissue, a body tissue which is known to store fat.
4. Plasma leptin
Plasma leptin is a prime controller of hunger and body fat. When the baby’s weight increases, resulting into more fat content in the body; infant’s body gets programmed to become leptin-dependent and less responsive to leptin in future. Leptin resistance results in obesity as the child grows up.
5. High protein intake
With formula feeding, infants consume nearly 70% of more protein as compared to the babies who are breastfed at 3 to 6 months of age. As the baby turns 12 months old, protein intake goes up to 6 times than what the body’s requirement is. High protein intake triggers higher insulin secretion, which, as said earlier facilitates in the development of adipose tissue.
Conclusion
Thus you can see how formula milk is causing obesity in infants and increasing the risk of babies developing major health related issues in future.
To ensure that infant obesity is curbed, the above points must be taken into consideration. You will have to be careful about formula feeding and ensure that your baby isn’t consuming it in excess. And if it’s possible, stick to breastfeeding for a year as it is known to decrease baby’s likelihood of being obese as a child and adult.
But what about women who are unable to breastfeed? Check out these articles for further guidance :
Breastfeeding problems and how to overcome them
Reasons for breastfeeding failure