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Home › Articles › Feeding Baby › Controlled Infant Feeding and the Obesity Link

Controlled Infant Feeding and the Obesity Link

Should Parents Restrict How Much Their Baby Eats?

By Lisa A. Goldstein

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Keeping It in Perspective

"It is very important to note that this study was based on children in the normal weight range and we cannot make any conclusions for parents of children who are underweight or overweight," Dr. Farrow says. "In some circumstances it is necessary to impose controls upon children's diets, for example if they are very underweight or overweight."

This is the case for Raquel Willerman's son, who is a very big kid with habits and likes that are consistent with incipient obesity, which he has a genetic predisposition for. He likes carbs and breads, and when he sees food, goes ballistic until he can have it. Willerman's pediatrician told her that some babies won't stop when they're full. The Brooklyn, N.Y., resident put her son on a more rigorous and limited eating schedule. "It did seem to stall his weight gain or make him look a little more in proportion," she says. "His spitting up also got a little better."

Willerman doesn't worry that restricting her son's diet will result in an inability to regulate hunger. "It seems to me that he already doesn't have that ability," she says. "Limiting amounts of food will be something he has to learn."

The bottom line? "Parents are responsible for providing optimum nutrition for growth and development ... and eating habits that don't lead to food and weight problems," Dr. May says.

Food Tips and Tricks

Dr. Michelle May offers these additional tips:

  • Do not comfort your child with food.
  • Never use food as a reward. Reward desired behavior with praise, extra attention and privileges.
  • Do not impose stringent food rules, since they may lead to sneak eating and/or rebellious eating when the child is away from parental control.
  • Don't say or imply that some foods are good while others are bad. Instead, teach children that some foods are healthier than others. This will help them learn to balance eating for health with eating for pleasure.
  • Involve children in shopping, meal planning and preparation. This is a great opportunity to teach them about nutrition – and they will be more likely to try new foods if they helped make them.


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