Breastfeeding Linked To Lower Obesity Risk For School Children In Japan, Study

Breastfeeding is linked to a decreased risk of school children being overweight or obese in Japan, according to a new study.

Asian Scientist (Aug. 14, 2013) – Breastfeeding is linked to a decreased risk of school children being overweight or obese in Japan, according to a new study.

In the study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers analyzed data from a total of 43,367 children included in Japan’s Longitudinal Survey of Babies in the 21st Century.

Researchers classified children into the categories of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese at 7 and 8 years of age by using their body mass index and looked at information about how they were fed from infancy.

They found that children who were exclusively breastfed at 6 to 7 months of age had a decreased risk of being overweight or obese compared to children who were fed with formula milk.

This was after the researchers had taken into account other factors like sex, television viewing time, and mother’s educational attainment and working status.

The study also found that the protective association was stronger for obesity compared to being overweight.

The article can be found at: Yamakawa et al. (2013) Breastfeeding And Obesity Among Schoolchildren: A Nationwide Longitudinal Survey In Japan.

——

Source: JAMA; Photo: specialoperations/Flickr/CC.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

Related Stories from Asian Scientist