Breastfeeding and Obesity in Children

Breast milk

Breast milk is a gift of God's best for our baby. Milk that is rich in benefits is not only nutrients and support growth and development of the baby, but also can prevent from obesity in the future.

Obesity is a condition where there is excess weight caused by excessive accumulation of fat tissue. In contrast to the term over nutrition (overweight), the excess weight is mainly due to increased muscle mass of bone. Obesity today is not only belonging to the adults, but also teenagers, even though the baby. The increased incidence of obesity in children took place in developing countries.

World Health Organization (WHO) since 1998 has stated that obesity is a global health problem. It is hard otherwise because of the impact of obesity is bad for health it can even cause death at any age of the sufferer. Data from the WHO noted that 15% of infants and > 50% of primary school age children are obese.

When obesity occurs in infancy, children and teenagers, then they will carry obesity into adulthood later. The poor are usually not independent of obesity, but with the risk of various diseases on mortality, especially from coronary heart disease, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia).

How can obesity be?

Obesity can occur due to multi factorial. In general, obesity can occur due to an imbalance between the energy created by the energy expended by the body. Genetic abnormalities, hormonal disorders, nerve signals in the body as well as environmental influences, a synergistic change their eating habits as well as our body's metabolic rate. Which ultimately leads to obesity status? It turned out that of the many factors that cause of obesity, the environment is responsible for> 90% of obesity in children. Some examples of causes of environmental factors, among others, are fast food, and lack of physical activity. While infant formula is the most important factors causing obesity in children.

Breast Milk

Breast milk is an essential component of child survival and growth. The benefits of breastfeeding not only felt by the infant but also by nursing mothers. Breast milk has been shown to contain many nutrients that are good for growth and development of infants, but also contains a variety of immune devices to prevent infection. Child health experts have proven that babies who were exclusively breastfed (breastfed during only 6 months) had significantly less diarrhea than those who do not breast-fed.

Not only has that Breast milk also been shown to prevent many diseases, like asthma and cancer of the blood and lymph adulthood. One of the benefits that today are pretty much highlighted the role of breastfeeding in preventing obesity. Breast milk researchers have proven that children who breastfed as infants have a lower risk of obesity when compared with those receiving formula. Researchers have examined the impact of weight gain as a baby on the incidence of obesity in adulthood. Weight gain, especially in the first trimester of life associated with the incidence of childhood obesity.

How does breastfeeding prevent obesity?

The role of breastfeeding in preventing obesity in children can occur in several ways, namely the influence on eating behavior and the influence of the unique content of Breast milk against obesity.

Obesity is common in babies fed on formula milk. In the infant formula milk that is given, have tendency of thought that the baby had to empty the milk in the bottle. In contrast with the milk, because it does not seem what it gives, it depends on the ability of breast-feeding a baby. The administration also influenced the pattern of food consumption mother; because of Breast milk depends from mother Foods. From birth the baby has the ability to self-regulate their intake of milk. By identifying the circumstances and body language cues of the baby, then the mother cannot control intake so that excess intake can cause obesity.

Differences in nutrient content and other active substances of Breast milk with formula milk, such as unsaturated fatty acids long chain, maybe role in regulating the formation of fat tissue in infants. High levels of protein in milk formula, which is 70% more than Breast milk, infants exposed to high levels of protein too early. It is thought to play a role in disorders of fatty tissue formation settings. Researchers stated that the high exposure of this protein can stimulate the release of the hormone insulin (a hormone in carbohydrate metabolism and regulating blood sugar) which leads to increased formation of fatty tissue. If this happens in the long run then the baby is at risk of hyperinsulinemia in the blood insulin levels are too high) and the buildup of fatty tissue or obesity. Previously described, that milk contains a variety of active substances, one hormone. Hormone is a substance that can regulate many metabolic functions via signaling to the brain. It is said by experts, that the milk contains the hormone Leptin. Leptin is a hormone that is anorecigenics, plays an important role in regulating energy balance, reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure of our body.

Leptin is produced primarily by fat tissue and less in other tissues such as placenta, gastric, and breast. Breast tissue contains a lot of fat so that it can produce high leptin in Breast milk. In experiments on rats, leptin contained in Breast milk can be absorbed by the stomach and then circulated throughout the body of the infant rat blood through the vessels. Breast milk Leptin is a major source of half the infants in the early period of lactation. Leptin will begin to be produced in sufficient quantities at the end of the suckling period and when I started getting solid food. The presence of leptin can regulate the ability of breast feeding in the short to his body Leptin-producing system that fat tissue can produce sufficient amounts of leptin. However, this has not been fully proven in Leptin is produced by human Breast milk. Recent research has shown that leptin levels in Breast milk correlated with leptin levels in the blood circulation Mother. This is related to body mass index and weight gain in the first 2 years baby.

Although theoretically and clinically proven to prevent obesity. There has been no clear consensus from the experts about the duration of breastfeeding is really effective to prevent obesity. Researchers stated from his research that every month of breastfeeding will reduce the risk of obesity as much as 4%. Researchers also stated that breastfeeding is more than 6 months; just having a protective effect on the incidence of obesity in adulthood. But other experts said that to have any effect on obesity prevention, breastfeeding is necessary for at least 12 months.

References:

Miralles, Olga, Juana Sa'Nchez. Andreu Palou, and Catalina Pico. A Physiological Role of Leptin in Breast milk Body Weight Control in Developing lnfants. Obesity. 2006; 14:1371-1377.

A. Singhal, J. Lanigan Breastfeeding, early growth and later obesity. Obesity reviews. 2007; 8 (1): 51-54

Shields L, O'Callaghan M, Williams GM, Najmam JM, Bor W. Breastfeeding and obesity at 14 years: A cohort study. Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health 2006; 42 (5), 289-296.

Kathryn G. Dewey. Breastfeeding is Protective Against Childhood Obesity?.