Bottle milk makes babies fat: Study

LONDON - A study has found that bottle-fed babies are primed for a life of obesity.

Babies who gain pounds too fast in their first months are more likely to become fat.

For the first time, scientists believe they have found a link between babies’ weight gain and their risk of obesity later in life, reports the Daily Express.

And the results suggest that breast is still best if you want your child to be slim.

The study by a team at University College London Institute of Child Health believe their findings have important implications for babies fed formula milk as they tend to put on weight more quickly than breast-fed babies.

This is because formula milk is made from cows’ milk, which is much more energy dense than human milk.

Researchers found that babies who were small at birth and were fed enriched formula milk gained weight at an accelerated rate. By the time they were between five and eight years old, their body mass was 22 to 38 per cent greater than babies who had been fed standard formula.

As part of the study, babies were given either standard formula milk or a formula with extra protein, energy-boosters, vitamins and minerals. The findings confirm previous estimates that suggest 20 per cent of adult obesity may be caused by over-nutrition in infancy. (ANI)