Fat,Young,and Poor: Why Breastfeeding Is a Critical Weapon in the Fight Against Childhood Obesity

The United States has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world, and we're suffering from a health epidemic unlike any other we've ever faced in our nation's history. Yet breastfeeding, one of the easiest and most natural solutions to help eradicate this problem, is not discussed among local, state, and federal policymakers as a viable and actable solution. Daily we read of the ongoing battles of obesity and childhood obesity in the United States. We see it, hear it, say it, and taste it in our food and diets across the nation. Because of the changes in our daily exercise patterns and nutritional habits, we have now become more unfit than ever before. Still, this is not the scariest part of our struggle. Childhood obesity is fast becoming next in line as one of our nation's biggest problems—literally. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years: we've increased from 7% in 1980 to almost 20% in 2008. Furthermore, childhood obesity is more prevalent among low-income families and highest in locales known as food deserts in the United States. For example, although agrarian in nature, Mississippi, and particularly the Mississippi Delta, has the highest rate of childhood obesity in the nation, with nearly 40% of our children up to age 17 years falling within this category. Mississippi also has the highest rate of teen pregnancy, and these births to young mothers are not often accompanied with adequate information on the importance of breastfeeding and how it can help restore proper weight in the mother and provide a better opportunity for the child to be of healthy weight. So simply put, we're fat, our children are getting fatter, and the younger and poorer the family, the more likely they are to fall into this ever declining trap of increased obesity and chronic disease.

Despite these staggering statistics, breastfeeding is hidden in the conversation about eradicating obesity among impoverished mothers and children of Mississippi and our nation. Breastfeeding is a natural method of getting a baby to understand portion control and appetite. It also helps strengthen the immune system and bring the weight of the mother back in line with her prepregnancy stage by contracting the uterus back to its normal size (shrinking the tummy). Numerous studies have shown that breastfed babies are healthier and have fewer problems with obesity and fewer doctors' visits. Among minority women, we have amazingly forgotten that breastfeeding has always been a natural part of our child's upbringing because if for no other reason, that was the only option available. Even going back only as far as slavery, many black women breastfed their children as well as the children of other slaves and their master as a regular means of providing required nutrients for the children. There are even some that would argue black women were healthier and stronger in childbearing, as opposed to their white counterparts, because they breastfed longer.

Nevertheless, whether the discussion is local, state, or federal, it is rare to hear the inclusion of breastfeeding as the start of the process to control a child's health and nutritional intake. Ultimately, we must understand that there is a need to highlight breastfeeding as a mechanism for eradicating childhood obesity among minorities and reducing obesity in minority women. Several truths must be realized first in order to truly incorporate this conversation into policy and explain to policy makers. First, understand that women talk. Whether in the beauty shop or in the grocery store line, women discuss their health issues, concerns, and life challenges every day in all types of scenarios. Let's examine a typical conversation between two black women:

Woman 1 (W1): “Hey Girl! How you and the baby doing?”

Woman 2 (W2): “Hey! We're fine. If I can just get rid of this baby weight. That boy put some pounds on me that don't seem to want to go NOWHERE! On top of that, that boy can eat. He's gonna be just as big as his daddy and I'm going to be right along with them if I don't get this weight off soon.”

W1 (laughingly): “I hear that. I had the same problem. What are you feeding him? And what are you trying?”

W2: “Well, he takes a bottle pretty well. You know me; this is my third one so I've got that schedule down pat. The problem is I can't seem to get my weight down. Doctor said I could start exercising soon but you know it's so hard with a new baby. I saw some ad on TV for a new diet, I might try. What did you do?”

W1: “Girl, I breastfeed ALL my babies. Weight fell right off. Hell, with the last one, I kept pumping long after I got her off my breast just so I could keep losing! And she's actually doing better. I don't have to take her to the doctor as much as the other.”

W2: “For real? I don't know about that. Can't have nobody tugging on my titties all day! (Both ladies laughing) Besides, all that leaking and pumping and I heard it hurts too. I don't think I want to go through all that. On top of that, is it really true that you lose weight by breastfeeding? I thought that was just some old wives tale. I don't know the first thing about trying to pump and breastfeed no baby. I got free formula and I think it's too late now anyway.”

You may laugh at the dialogue above, but it's real and takes place every day. The question is, how should that conversation end? Are we providing information every day to women such that they can share correct and accurate information that defeats the myths and concerns of breastfeeding among minority communities? We must engage and incorporate breastfeeding as part of this regular conversation.

Second, we must understand that the access and ability to breastfeeding are key for success among poor and minority women. As Mayor of one of the largest cities in the Mississippi Delta, I saw many young working mothers who had not considered breastfeeding for fear that it would impact their ability to get and/or keep a job. One young lady, a mother of seven, was determined to breastfeed her children. She told me of her challenges to try and pump while working and going to school. She talked about her frustrations of having to stop earlier than she would have liked because she just couldn't keep up. As a student, she wasn't provided a location to pump in privacy other than the ladies restroom. She even went to the college Student Government Association and asked if she could use one of the offices and was rejected. Finally, she said to me, “Ms. McTeer, it's hard to say breastfeed when I work at Wendy's and my manager isn't going to give me a break to go and pump during the lunch rush. I mean, where am I supposed to keep my milk?” While we know that there is assistance available for women in these scenarios through organizations like WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), unfortunately women in areas of highly concentrated poverty aren't receiving this information and/or assistance. It could be for a number of reasons. The sheer number of women who fall into the category that would be served by organizations such as WIC can be overwhelming to small staffs. In the Mississippi Delta area, we have one IBCLS (International Board Certified Lactation Specialist). For an area that has the highest poverty rate in the state of Mississippi, clearly we need more IBCLSs in the area. Local-level policy can also assist by encouraging community organization and churches to engage in this discussion. We must use the church mothers board, sororities, and other outlets, not only to provide a means to spread information, but also to recruit individuals capable of becoming certified to assist in this very needed area.

Finally, the high rate of teen pregnancy demands that we find innovative ideas that will increase breastfeeding among teens and show how to encourage healthy children even among young mothers. So this problems begs the question: how do we gain the attention of young mothers, especially those impoverished and who fall within the categories of those statistically most likely to produce obese children and become obese themselves? One of the best things to happen to breastfeeding occurred a few weeks ago when world-renowned music artist Beyoncé breastfed her daughter Blue Ivy at a New York restaurant during lunch. This simple act not only highlighted breastfeeding, but it gave voice to a conversation surrounding the pros and cons of breastfeeding, particularly weight loss and child health among black women. Regardless of whether or not one believes it was sensationalism, we must admit the fact that there is a segment of our young generation who look up to stars like Beyoncé and are saying to themselves, “If she's doing it, it can't be that bad; let me check it out.” At least they're listening and willing to gather more information. If this is what it takes to gain the attention of our young mothers, I say go for it. We should engage and then become inclusive of popular culture, social media, and other aspects of the next generation in order to spread the message of health and wellness of both mother and child through breastfeeding. Who knows? We may be able to create a new fad that quickly becomes a manner of slowing the health crisis to which we so desperately need several answers.

Ultimately, policy makers must understand that to ignore the indications of increased obesity and childhood obesity is to invite continued community decline in an area. It simply comes down to good business practice. When an industry is looking to locate to a particular area, they review several factors including the overall health and wellness of their population and their future labor force. If the people they will hire are unhealthy, overweight, and sick with chronic disease, the company loses money through increased health cost, loss of employee time in sick days, and lower production rates. The company soon realizes that it is not economical to move to an area that's sick. If we truly want our poorer communities to have a chance at attracting business, industry, and jobs, we have to be on the track of health and wellness and improving the health of the future workforce, our children. For this reason, policy makers must examine and incorporate fully all aspects of health improvement. Breastfeeding may just be one of the keys that we're missing.