Anti-obesity baby formula?

An excerpt from this article in the NY Times reads: "Michael Cawthorne, director of metabolic research at the Clore Laboratory at Britain’s University of Buckingham, argues that if we act early enough, we may be able to program babies’ metabolisms to provide permanent resistance to excess pounds. He and his colleagues are trying to develop a baby formula with an astonishing property: to turn newborns into those enviable people who can eat what they want without getting fat."

There is something really disturbing about this to me, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Well, besides the fact that I breastfeed my kids and so wouldn't be tempted to use this formula anyway, maybe it's this: is it really wise to make ANYBODY the sort of person who can "eat what they want without getting fat?" Isn't there perhaps a reason to abstain from Whoppers and doughnuts and Cokes all day that goes beyond the number on the scale...and shouldn't we, as parents, be teaching it to our kids?

Also, if you read the article you'll see that there are worries that the physiological changes caused by the formula could be harmful in the long run. According to the article, Susan Roberts, chief of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University, says this: “It just makes my breath short to think of what such an intervention might do.”

What do you think? Assume that you could not breastfeed for some reason or another. Would you give your child this kind of formula? Why or why not?

Comments

[sarcastic journalist]

The problem is that they are just constantly looking for ways to CHEAT the system. Our society has become so lazy and self-centered that the thought of doing what you should do (eat healthy) just isn't in the mindset.

[morecowbell]

I was a breastfeeder, so I wouldn't choose any formula, but if I had not been able to ... the sarcastic part of me is all "hell yeah, bring on the Slim Fast Jr", but honestly, I think we mess around too much with things we don't have a full understanding of, and I would not be willing to try some experimental formula on my BABY for pete's sake. Even after all their mouse-testing and whatnot, who knows what effect puberty or pregnancy or menopause or illness, or whoknowswhatelse could have on a person who'd had this "alteration" fed to her through a rubber nipple? What if it caused them to have anorexic-like symptoms after the hormones of puberty got added into the mix?

I agree with the above post, we -- especially Americans -- are all about cheating the system instead of doing what we should be doing.

(however, in the interest of full disclosure, I do sort of wish my mom had had access to that. -sigh-)