by Amy Spangler
December 15, 2008

Eat, drink, and be merry!

If you’re concerned about packing on those unwanted pounds during the holiday season, you’re not alone. There’s a reason why the second and third most common resolutions of the new year are getting fit and losing weight (spending more time with family and friends came in first.)

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicate that at any given time almost 70 million Americans are trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain. In 2000, Americans spent approximately $35 billion on weight control products—videos, tapes, books, medications, special foods, dietary supplements, and medical treatments ranging from liposuction to bypass surgery.

But a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests breastfeeding mothers may have a weight loss advantage.

More than 25,000 Danish women participated in the study. Interviews were conducted at six and 18 months postpartum. Each participant was assigned a breastfeeding score based on length and intensity of breastfeeding. Researchers found that women with higher breastfeeding scores (those who breastfed exclusively and for longer periods of time) were more likely to lose weight gained during pregnancy within six months after giving birth compared to those with lower scores.

After adjusting for pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI) and pregnancy weight gain, researchers concluded that women who gain a reasonable amount of weight during pregnancy and breastfeed exclusively retain 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) less at six months after giving birth compared to women who don’t breastfeed.

While this may seem like a small amount of weight gain, according to the authors it becomes significant given that many U.S. women of childbearing age “are alarmingly heavy.” With 52 percent classified as overweight and 29 percent classified as obese, additional weight gain related to pregnancy only worsens an already serious problem.