According to a new study of Hispanic children in southern California, babies who were breastfed longest and drank few or no sugary beverages were about half as likely to be obese as kids who were not breastfed or who consumed the most sugary drinks.
Breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of obesity in children according to past studies but Jaimie Davis, the study’s lead author and a professor at the University of Southern California, said mothers will also give their babies and toddlers sugary drinks.
“What happens is that they’re breastfeeding and they’re often giving their kids juice or Gatorade,” said Davis. “They don’t realize it’s having the counter effect.”
The research was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
