There are some who would tell you that breastfeeding a child will actually significantly reduce the chances of obesity.  Frankly, there are patterns, but I wouldn’t say it has anything to do with breast feeding.  They talk about the idea that formula has a lot of calories, and yes that makes sense.  But at the same point in time, they are comparing those who were never or only breastfed for a short period of time to those who were breastfed for a few years.  If you think about it, just look at the countries who have these patterns.  It’s a bit like calling hoodia a weight loss product because South African bushmen happen to use it.  Frankly, more developed countries tend to breastfeed their babies for a shorter amount of time, whereas third world countries might have children occasionally breastfeeding more for comfort than anything else at the age of 5 on a regular basis.  You might also notice that third world countries have a less regular source of food or income in general.  So this could definitely explain why there is a lower rate of obesity among those populations.   After all, breastfeeding is far cheaper than buying formula, and when regular food is not available as it is, it certainly doesn’t help anything.  All in all, it is one of those coincidental junk theories or at least so it seems.