Staying Healthy Parents News Now Does Breastfeeding Keep Women Thinner? By Holly Lebowitz Rossi Published on July 16, 2012 Share Tweet Pin Email Researchers found that women who had children tended to have higher body mass indexes later in life than did women with no children; however, the researchers were able to associate every six months of breast-feeding with a 0.22 drop in BMIs among the women in their 50s and early 60s. This translates to a 1 percent drop in BMIs for every six months of breast-feeding, the researchers said. "We already know breast-feeding is best for babies, and this study adds to a growing body of evidence that the benefits extend to the mother as well, even 30 years after she's given birth," said study researcher Dr. Kirsty Bobrow, a researcher at the University of Oxford. Image: Mother breastfeeding newborn, via Shutterstock. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit