Breastfeeding helps prevent obesity later in life, research shows Breast-fed babies had a lower percentage of body fat at age 9 than their counterparts who never received breast milk Sweetened drinks and soda before 18 months of age were also linked to faster increases in body fat in childhood.
“Infancy is a vulnerable life stage characterized by significant developmental changes, and when environmental exposures may have long-lasting effects on an individual’s metabolism and physiology,” said lead researcher Catherine Cohen. She is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Colorado Anschutz.
