Research
Mixed
Breastfeeding is associated with beneficial effects in avoiding excess infant weight gain, childhood obesity, and higher blood pressure compared to formula feeding.
Encourage breastfeeding if possible, as it helps prevent excessive weight gain and obesity. If breastfeeding is not an option, focus on avoiding overfeeding with formula and delaying the introduction of solid foods until 6 months of age.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Beneficial effects of breast feeding on avoiding excess infant weight gain, childhood obesity and higher blood pressure have also been described.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple observational studies and cohort studies cited in the paper.
Source
Size at Birth, Postnatal Growth and Risk of Obesity
Kenneth Ong · Hormone Research in Paediatrics · 2006
DOI 10.1159/000091508
narrative_reviewCited 272×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Rapid postnatal weight gain (catch-up growth) in infants born small for gestational age (SGA) or growth-restrained in utero significantly increases the risk of central fat deposition, insulin resistance, and adult obesity.Good
- Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes significantly increase the risk of offspring obesity and type 2 diabetes, primarily through excess fetal adiposity and subsequent postnatal catch-up growth.Good
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →