Bottle-fed babies are more likely to become obese if breast milk is healthier

Babies fed formula instead of only breast milk for the first six months of life are 25% more likely to become obese.

The World Health Organization made this statement after questioning the parents of 30,000 children aged six to nine.

The results, unveiled at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow, show for the first time that breast milk keeps children at a healthy weight.

Dr. Joao Breda, WHO author, said, "We need more measures to encourage breastfeeding, such as properly paid maternity leave.

"We need less inappropriate marketing of infant formula, which might suggest to mothers that it is as good for babies as it is for breast milk." Children Never Have Been Breastfeeding were 22% more likely to be obese than those fed breast milk and formula for at least six months.

Sue Ashmore, from Unicef ​​UK, said: "Human milk is specially designed for human babies.

"Not only does it act as the first baby vaccine, protecting against infections, but it also affects long-term health, especially as the first defense against the epidemic of obesity."

Previous research showed that 73% of British babies were beginning to be breastfed, but only 45% had breast milk at six weeks of age.

Only 1% of British babies drink only breast milk for six months, compared with a European average of about 20%.