"Giving Babies Finger Food Could Stop Obesity"

[onthefly]

Thought this was interesting

Weaning Babies: Pureed Food Could Fuel Obesity, Say Scientists | UK News | Sky News

(By finger food, they actually mean baby-led solids)

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: "Babies have this wonderful rapport with their mother when breastfeeding and indicate how much milk they want and when they are ready to go on to solids."
Therefore, it "seems quite logical" that they may also know best when it comes to food while being weaned, he said.
"It is important that they experience all five food groups and experiment with variety as much as possible.
"If half of it finishes on the floor, so be it - the value of experimentation in the early months of nutrition is incalculable and babies won't willingly starve themselves."

Baby knows best

Conclusions Weaning style impacts on food preferences and health in early childhood. Our results suggest that infants weaned through the baby-led approach learn to regulate their food intake in a manner, which leads to a lower BMI and a preference for healthy foods like carbohydrates. This has implications for combating the well-documented rise of obesity in contemporary societies.

[myturn]

I have often thought, that part of the reason I am overweight is because I HAD to eat everything on my plate, no matter how full I was. I was taught to be FULL instead of comfortable.

I watched my mum feed my nephews and she shoved one mouthful in before the previous had been finished - and I suspect the same when I was a baby, I was never allowed to let the food digest slowly enough to recognise when I'd had enough....

Definitely hard to determine when a child is not eating because they are full, or due to behaviour... ... def something to think about - thanks Mad B!! Very interesting reading....

Now I need to take responsbility myself, but it's very hard when ingrained from a small age.

[Bella29]

Yeah our dd has a great relationship with food and I think it is due to bls. She ate raw oysters at Christmas for god sakes!!! And she is only 2.5!

[~*Niadalla*~]

My DD is a MUCH better eater than my DS who was puree fed. I blame puree feeding and comp feeding on his massive eating issues (that's for another thread).

My DD will try anything and if she's full, she will stop.
Wish I'd been smarter with DS.

[Bella29]

You do what you can, with what you know and when you know better you do better. Hugs babe

[BlackRose]

I did a mixture of BLS and purée with DS but now that he's older he gets what we eat, and if he doesn't like it or eat it all I don't offer his something else that I know he'll eat because I'm worried he'll go hungry. If he's hungry he'll eat.

Also, I try to give him simple while foods and minimize the processed crap so he doesn't get used to the artificial flavours, and higher salt/sugar content.

Interesting article. Thanks for posting!

[Teeki]

I have often thought, that part of the reason I am overweight is because I HAD to eat everything on my plate, no matter how full I was. I was taught to be FULL instead of comfortable.

Yeah that. I think the way we're fed when young has a massive effect on our habits when we're older. I'm loving doing blw with DD, she definitely lets us know when she's had enough, and I know what she's eating is good, whole food with no added nasties.

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[onthefly]

Yep, me too! HAVE to finish. Must eat if it's there... really hard to leave stuff even when I'm totally stuffed. deary deary. Trying very hard not to do this with the kids.