title: Obesity related programming statements in materials on infant feeding aimed at parents in five European countries.
abstract: Early nutrition programming as an origin of obesity is well acknowledged, but to what extent is this concept communicated to parents? In five European countries, UK, Finland (FI), Germany (DE), Hungary (HU) and Spain (ES), a total of 130 stand alone leaflets and 161 articles from parenting magazines providing information on feeding of healthy infants aged 0-12 months were identified and screened for nutrition programming statements. Obesity was mentioned in 8.5% (54/638) of the statements, and was the fourth most frequent outcome after allergy (20.7%), risk of infections (15.5%) and growth and development (11.4%). A temporal prognosis was given in 39% of obesity related statements, 6% referring to short- (< 5 years), 13% to medium- (5-15 years) and 20% to long-term (>15 years) duration of effects. So advice on obesity focuses on the intrinsic long-term perspective of programming in contrary to other surveyed health-outcomes where only 8- considered a lifelong approach. The major programming related behaviour concerned breast-feeding compared to formula and complementary feeding with meaningful differences concerning the recommended duration: for ES and HU the predominant advice was for exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months, for DE exclusive breast-feeding for 4-6 months and for UK and FI breast-feeding without further specification. In summary, statements relating to the programming of later obesity have been partially integrated into feeding information in five European countries. These countries have slightly different breastfeeding recommendations, but consistently refer to the preventive potential of breastfeeding in general. This is important as obesity and its resulting morbidity are of increasing public health concern in developed countries.
authors.affiliation: Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: von Rosen-von Hoewel
authors.forename: Kirsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martin-Bautista
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campoy
authors.forename: Viktoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jakobik
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Decsi
authors.forename: Martina A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gage
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koletzko
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raats
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D005060:Europe; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*