When breast milk is junk food

The Brazilian campaign on the dangerousness of junk food during breastfeeding went around the world. Discover what it claims.

Breast milk is surely the healthiest food for newborns. But is this always true? Which consequences could the bad eating habits of a breastfeeding mother have on her kid’s health? This is the provocation of the new shocking advertising campaign launched by the Pediatric Society of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, (and endorsed by the agency Paim). Its claim “Your child is what you eat” remembers the precise responsibilities of a breastfeeding mom towards her kid. The pictures, which went around the world, feature an unweaned child sucking through their mother breast a hypercaloric hamburger, a soda or other types of junk food.

 

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The campaign, that heighlights the importance of a balanced diet during pregnancy, claims that the food eaten by a mother during pregnancy or breastfeeding can prevent a number of potential pathologies in her offspring. “There is scientific evidence – the website of the Pediatric Society of Rio Grande reads – that demonstrates how the nutrients received by the foetus can influence the outbreak of diseases in the future including heart condition, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension”.

 

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So, saying no to junk food during pregnancy and breastfeeding not only helps moms to stay healthier but also allows them to regain shape quickly and their children to feel good. A varied and balanced diet, with few fats, simple seasoning and light meals and based on seasonal products and reduced consumption of animal derived food is the best choice a pregnant woman or a breastfeeding mom can make.

 

Finally, the initiative of the Brazilian pediatric society remembers the importance of preventing childhood obesity, children’s long-term health, exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months, the beginning of a correct complementary diet (no cow’s milk until the child is 1), and daily physical activity.

 

Photo credit: © Pediatric Society of Rio Grande

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