Prolonged Use of Bottles Linked to Childhood Obesity
Many parents rely on the bedtime bottle to assure their child will finally nod off into sleepy time. Without that final comforting bottle, some children seem to take a long time to get there. But is comfort now worth obesity later? A new large scale study published by the American Journal of Pediatrics shows that children still relying on the bottle at age two, or using continuous bedtime bottles are 30% more inclined to be obese by age five.
The study concluded that the prolonged use of the bottle lead to increased extra calories being consumed. Also it was determined that by using the bottle to get a child to bed parents could unwittingly cause children to rely on the use of food for comfort in their adolescent and adult ages. Eating for comfort has been indicated in the problem of obesity on several occasions.
Parents can help children build healthy eating habits by following some simple tips.
- Avoid leaving your child with a bottle to go to sleep. if possible, make the night time bottle water to avoid tooth decay.
- Start your infant on a sippy cup during their sixth month. It will take a little bit of time but this will make it easier to wean.
- Try to have your child off of a bottle by age one. This can be difficult and can take some time, but it is a healthy goal.
- If your child is a good eater of foods and getting plenty of calories from that source, try to substitute water for some of the extra bottles your child wishes to consume.
- Building a healthy foundation for dental care and healthy weight perspective is crucial for young ones. There are many factors to a child’s health and children should be prepared for a healthy lifestyle as early as possible.
Original photo courtesy of Sura Nualpradid.
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