I know I'm a broken record here, but it bugs me that breastfeeding is never mentioned or studied when it comes to obesity, even though the effects are significant.

The risks of artificial feeding are only mentioned in breastfeeding studies and articles (not just here, everywhere), but never mentioned or even considered in the studies of health problems breastfeeding helps eliminate.

Exclusive breastfed children are getting free raw milk, fortified with omega-3's. Each milliliter of breast milk has more living cells than a milliliter your blood. Breastfed infants have been shown to grow up to have fewer permanent fat cells. Their bodies also learn to regulate appetite since breast milk changes throughout the feeding from the low fat foremilk to the high fat hind milk. The high fat milk singles satiety and infant stops eating. Formula fed infants also much eat much more volume as they get older to increase their caloric intake, yet nursed infants eat the same volume of fluid daily! It is a miracle. We still do not even know all the components of breast milk.

If you or someone you love is having a hard time nursing please contact le leche league or a lactation consultant. Despite what you believe the inability to breastfeed is rare, but it is a learned skill, and the nurses at the hospital tend to give bad advice that actually hurts your ability to breastfeed. If you are pregnant, plan for a drug-free birth, trust me it is worth it. The Bradley method is a good place to start.

OK I feel better.

Although much has highlighted the "soda" machines at our schools- what about the  everyday trip to the "snack" area to buy ice cream, cookies, or chips? At our county schools- they do not want the parents to "send" a snack. But, of course, if you don't send extra money, the child doesn't get the "snack" like the rest do. This is kind of like "peer pressure" towards unhealthy "snacks" by the school. I think the schools need to work on "healthy" lunch and move all the vending machines and ice cream freezers right out the back door!

Obesity is not the only problem with sitting all day at school and then all night at home watching TV or playing video games- why do we wonder at the number of depressed /anxious children? Exercise is one of the best "treatments"  and "preventions" for depression and anxiety- even in shorter increments.

Finally, when a parent makes a family meal an important time- most children prefer it. It's great for communication and teaching proper table manners. Once our oldest son in college called when he knew we would be eating- he just wanted to know what we were talking about. He missed eating with us. There are a few years when our children think we know everything- those are the years we must teach with. After that, it is the memories they think on and we hope lead them.