We are so obsessed about weight in this country. Even babies are targets.
Babies are supposed to have visible body fat. It is normal for a baby to have several chins, a neck that is hard to find, and rolls of fat at their thighs, wrists and elbows.
For adequate nutrition we want to offer babies a diet where 40% of their calories are from fat. Breast milk and formula have this fat ratio. For the first year babies should be fed on demand. That means feeding them when they show they are hungry and stopping when they show they are done. IF you are mindful of these needs, a baby fed like this will grow appropriately.
Some babies have less fat than others, and this too has caused concern to some pediatricians and parents. Over and over I have heard from parents (who are offering appropriate foods at appropriate times) of smaller, leaner babies that they were told to fatten up their child and get them to eat more.
They have been instructed to put powdered milk in foods or slather butter on crackers or in rice cereal. The problem with this advice is that babies instinctually know how much energy (calories) they need. Offering high density, high calorie foods will usually result in the baby eating less quantity. This has been proven is several studies. Babies given watered down formula drank more and those given concentrated formula ate less. They self regulated.
You should never MAKE your baby eat. This will alter their life-long perception about food intake. The persistent forcing of a baby to eat past their desire will teach a baby to eat for external cues (for instance, pleasing you) instead of internal ones –eating when feeling hungry and stopping when feeling full.
Babies persuaded to eat past their internal signal of satiety will learn to overeat. This sets them up for a life time of weight issues.
Mindful parents offer appropriate foods at appropriate intervals. They watch for cues of hunger and satiety and respect these. If you have a thinner baby, you can try offering food more often, maybe every 1 ½ – 2 hours. If babies are hungry they will eat, if they’re not, they won’t. Follow their cues. They know what they are doing.
To learn more about children and healthy eating visit my website at www.creatinghealthyeaters.com
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