Baby Formula Industry Spends More On Marketing Than Governments Do Supporting Breastfeeding Moms
Baby Formula Industry Spends More On Marketing Than Governments Do Supporting Breastfeeding Moms
HuffPost
Eleanor Goldberg
Research continues to show that breastfeeding is the ideal nutrition option for babies. Yet worldwide breastfeeding rates still fail to meet global targets ― and a big reason has to do with governments’ unwillingness to support nursing mothers.
The breast milk substitute industry’s sales are predicted to hit $70 billion by 2019. Companies spend more on pushing their products ― often while violating international marketing codes ― than governments do on protecting and educating breastfeeding mothers. Considering the low cost, and the lives and money breastfeeding could save, investing in mothers should be a no-brainer, a new report from the World Health Organization asserts.
Except, it isn’t.
Of 194 nations evaluated, just 40 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed – meaning they receive no other liquids or food ― for the first six months of life, which is WHO’s recommendation.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/formula-industry-marketing_us_5980d358e4b0353fbb3328a8