Actually our pediatrician feels that one should feed the baby as they are hungry - follow their cues. Once they are full (turning of the head, closing mouth) you quit feeding. A chubby baby doesn't mean an overweight toddler though. My 3rd baby was born on Feb. 8th and weighed nearly 10 lbs 7 ounces at birth. His sheer size means he consumes more food than a smaller baby. I wouldn't restrict his calorie intake though!! That could easily affect his future height potential, his brain growth and much more - such as reaching milestones in the first year. They key rather is to encourage movement - tummy play, then crawling and being active as a toddler. Not just having them lay or sitting around when old enough to move.
Formula gets a lot of bad rep these days but it has a place when a woman cannot BF (I cannot due to medical issues). What it does is shame mothers when no shame should exist. Sure it is great if a woman can and she does it for at least the first year but it doesn't always happen.

PS: I'd say the obesity has more to do with being inside in school all day - how much play time do these kids get? And that pesky Western diet doesn't help either.

Brian wrote:

"The problem is that the germ is where the rice and other grains store their defensive toxins. So you either eat it with the defensive shell removed or you ingest massive amounts of toxins designed to damage your stomachs lining and prevent its nutrition from being bio available. It may be better to eat white rice with lots of veggies and meat. At least rice is gluten free."

I always thought the whole grain was much better for you! Never heard the comment about the "germ" storing toxins and being bad for you.

"I always thought the whole grain was much better for you!"

Apparently at least the people who put this article together do, too. They are not a primary source, but cite a lot of studies from reputable organizations. Worth a read, IMO.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128

"Never heard the comment about the "germ" storing toxins and being bad for you."

Neither have lots of the rest of us otherwise healthy brown rice eaters. Color me dubious.

regarding exercise: not a whole lot. there is the lunch/recess hour just like in american schools and they do have a dedicated physical education teacher (not one who is split between multiple schools...quickly becoming the norm back home). but, korea is becoming increasingly notorious for after-hours education and high academic pressure. i go to a kick boxing school every night for 2 hours...absolute commitment to one endeavor is a very korean trait. so it's sort of an all-or-nothing proposition. kids either spare an hour or two out of their tight 3 to 9PM after school academy schedule to go to taekwondo or play organized soccer or they simply don't.

According to my Chinese cookbook, the original reason for white rice was that it stores better/longer than brown rice. I think oils in the brown rice that are removed by polishing can go rancid. I've had brown rice forgotten in the back of the pantry go rancid.

It's not surprising that white rice can increase chances of diabetes. It's probably true of all refined grains (white flour, etc.) -- they get metabolized faster than the whole grains.