Experts urge breastfeeding to avoid childhood obesity

A congress on childhood nutrition will today highlight the advantages of breastfeeding over infant formula, linked in some studies to a greater risk of child obesity.

A special committee in Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR​), which advises the Government on consumer health and food safety, is promoting breastmilk as a 'super cocktail' that protects against obesity and offers many other health benefits.

The numbers of overweight children are growing in several developed nations, putting them at greater risk of developing nutrition-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes. A recent study​ found that infants who gain weight quickly in the first few months after birth may be more likely to be obese as young adults.

One in five children in Germany are obese but the blame cannot be laid solely at the door of fatty foods and a lack of physical exercise, says the National Committee for the Promotion of Breastfeeding. While some preconditions for being overweight are already created in the womb, such as through overweight mothers who are more prone to having fat children, or mothers who smoke during pregnancy, infants who are exclusively breast-fed are apparently less likely to become overweight.

This is confirmed by several studies, although the reasons for this are not clear, the committee will outline today. It is thought that the different compositions of breast milk and milk substitutes may trigger differing hormonal reactions in the breastfed child and put their stamp on his metabolism. Other theories suggest that the breastfed infant drinks until he is full whereas the bottle-fed baby aims to finish the bottle and is therefore brought up to eat more than he needs.

The extent to which genes influence the later weight of a child and the role played by other factors will also be discussed at the 'Children and Nutrition' congress, taking place in the Katholische Akademie, Berlin. It is organised by the Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture, with scientific support from the German Society for Nutrition.

Improving the safety of infant formula, the UK's Food Standards Agency has issued a consultation in response to two new European directives (2003/13/EC and 2003/14/EC) that extend the provisions on pesticide residues in processed cereal-based foods, baby foods, infant formulae and follow-on formulae.

The Draft Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (Amendment)(England) Regulations 2004 will amend the present 1995 Regulations, prohibiting the sale to third countries of products containing pesticide residues above certain levels, with different levels being set depending on the pesticide in question. Analytical measures will also be introduced, and port health authorities are to be given a role in enforcement.

The Draft Processed Cereal-based Foods and Baby Foods for Infants and Young Children (England) Regulations 2004 brings in Directive 2003/13/EC as well as consolidating the current Processed Cereal-based Foods and Baby Foods for Infants and Young Children Regulations 1997 and its amendments.

The new laws will prohibit the sale of processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children unless they comply with the required manufacturing, compositional and labelling requirements, as well as if they contain pesticide levels above a certain level. They also Impose a maximum limit for added vitamin A in certain processed cereal based foods.

The draft regulations are due to come into force by 6 March 2005, and the FSA​ is inviting comments by 18 September 2003.