Giving babies finger food can stop them growing up fat

By
Jenny Hope

Last updated at 8:50 AM on 7th February 2012

If you want your children to grow up slim, you might want to encourage them to eat with their fingers.

Infants given finger foods during weaning gain less weight than those who are spoon-fed purees by parents, a study shows.

Letting them choose what they want to eat from a selection of foods also leads to them preferring a healthier diet, say researchers.

A new study has found that babies who use their fingers to eat during the weaning process are less likely to become obese than those who are spoon-fed pureed foods

A new study has found that babies who use their fingers to eat during the weaning process are less likely to become obese than those who are spoon-fed pureed foods

Psychologist Dr Ellen Townsend, who led the study, said babies who take control at mealtimes have the best chance of avoiding obesity.

This may be because they get used to several textures, she suggested.

‘Control is the key thing, as well as sitting at the table with family, because it may help babies regulate what they eat in a way that will benefit them in later life,’ said Dr Townsend.

Her team looked at 92 children who had been weaned on finger foods – such as fruit cut into chip-like shapes and breadsticks – and 63 who were spoon-fed between the ages of 20 months and six years.

'Come on, one more spoon for Mummy...'

They noted preferences for 151 foods broken down into categories including carbohydrates, dairy and ‘whole meals’ such as lasagne.

The results showed no difference in picky eating, but slightly less obesity in the children feeding themselves. These youngsters also had a ‘significantly increased liking for carbohydrates’, while those who had been spoon-fed favoured sweet things.

The Nottingham University researchers told BMJ Open journal: ‘Infants weaned through the baby-led approach learn to regulate food intake in a manner which leads to a lower body mass index and a preference for healthy foods.’

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘The value of experimentation in early months of nutrition is incalculable and babies won’t willingly starve.

‘If this has the advantage of reducing unhealthy weight gain and avoiding obesity, it’s a win-win for mums.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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The comments below have not been moderated.

I have an eight year old daughter who i spoon fed and an eight month old son who we are Baby Led Weaning.Baby Led Weaning is messy and just requires perseverance in the beginning. It is worth it and a lot easier and enjoyable than spoon feeding.

Can’t recommend Baby Led Weaning enough! My daughter and I ate the same things together from 5.5months (even Jalfrezi or Chilli etc) while watching my friends feed their children greeny mush and letting their own meals go cold. Not for us! See Gill Rapleys website or more information.

I let my baby wean herself and never gave her any pureed foods – she has always eaten everything we eat and has never been a fussy eater. A normal weight and slightly taller than average. This way of weaning is much easier than faffing about pureeing everything and shoving spoonfuls of tasteless gloop into their mouths!

I do wonder who conducts these studies… I can only speak from my experience as a (single) parent. I didn’t want food sploged all over my kitchen so spoon fed my children until they were past one. They ate pieces of apple etc but they were always fed good home-made food. They still eat a healthy varied diet of freshly prepared food and have enviably slim figures.
I seem to recall a study a few years ago which concluded that beige looking jarred food was more likely to make a child eat burgers, saugage, nuggets etc thus resulting in obesity. All children are different but over feeding any child, or giving them biscuits to keep them quiet will result in them becoming overweight. Ditto too much ‘beige/brown’ food!

Baby Led Weaning by Gillian Rapley. And it is true.
– Jen, Birmingham, 07/2/2012 07:21
My daughter followed BLW and whilst it was messy in the beginning, our dog loved it! Now at 2 she eats beautifully and very well.

I was JUST about to let my 8 month old self feed, anticipating the messy clear up afterwards until I read the line “The results showed no difference in picky eating, but slightly less obesity in the children feeding themselves.”
‘SLIGHTLY’ less being the conclusion! Basically, not really a significant difference at all for any changes necessary as we’re both happy with our current set up. My baby happily eating a variety of vegetable etc and is growing well; and mummy should stop reading these pointless ‘studies’ and look at the healthy baby in front of her who is willing to eat all meals without a fuss!

Oh please a ‘study’ using 92 kids – hardly rigorous enough? feeding purée between ages of 20months 6yrs? What… Who does that? 2 of my kids were determined to self feed at 12 months, most kids should have accomplished decent enough motor skills certainly by 2yrs, at 3yrs they should be able to dress themselves be toilet trained, purée mummy feeding should be done dusted … So why bother to incl such irrelevant data in the study? Hardly makes the paultry 92 kids studied hard data does it? When you use data that does not correspond to actual life. Doh!

In Norway the toddler child of an Indian couple has been taken into care because his parents fed him with their fingers and allowed him to share their bed.

my daughter is fine, she got fed a mixture of stuff! she didnt really have finger foods because she wasnt interested. She eats well and prefers healthy food like fish and veg over crisps choc etc. These studies are ridiculous.. its all about the food you introduce to your little ones. If you constantly feed them crisps and mcdonalds then of course they going to be unhealthy and choose that over healthier food!! I really dont know why people listen to these ‘studies’! Health Visitors and Midwives are no good some of the time!

My children had both spoon meals and finger foods; the early weaning ‘mush’ was pretty much the same meal we all ate such as veg and chicken dinner mashed with the back of a fork. Quite honestly I couldn’t have afforded store bought baby food even if I’d wanted it. They were all breast fed for first 4 months and loved the good old Farleys rusks when those first teeth were trying to break through. Too many toddlers in pushchairs with bags of crisps or sitting in their high chairs eating MuckyDonald’s nuggets these days. Buy your children wellies and go for walks even when it’s wet outside!
– The UK giveth and the EU taketh away, Wales, 07/2/2012 06:48
You’re criticising nuggets, but do you know how much rubbish is in a rusk!!!!! Deary me…..

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