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The Politics of Breastfeeding: When Breasts are Bad for Business Paperback – July 15, 2009

by Gabrielle Palmer (Author)

32 customer reviews

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As revealing as Freakonomics, shocking as Fast Food Nationand thought provoking as No Logo, The Politics of Breastfeeding exposes infant feeding as one of the most important public health issues of our time. Every thirty seconds a baby dies from infections due to a lack of breastfeeding and the use of bottles, artificial milks and other risky products. In her powerful book Gabrielle Palmer describes how big business uses subtle techniques to pressure parents to use alternatives to breastmilk. The infant feeding product companies' thirst for profit systematically undermines mothers' confidence in their ability to breastfeed their babies. An essential and inspirational eye-opener, The Politics of Breastfeeding challenges our complacency about how we feed our children and radically reappraises a subject which concerns not only mothers, but everyone: man or woman, parent or childless, old or young.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Fully explores the political, economic, and social implications of bottle feeding versus breastfeeding. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Gabrielle Palmer is a nutritionist and a campaigner. She was a breastfeeding counsellor in the 1970s and helped establish the UK pressure group Baby Milk Action. In the early 1980s she lived and worked as a volunteer in Mozambique. She has written, taught and campaigned on infant feeding issues, particularly the unethical marketing of baby foods. In the 1990s she co-directed the International Breastfeeding: Practice and Policy course at The Institute of Child Health in London until she went to live in China for two years. She has worked independently for various health and development agencies, including serving as HIV and Infant Feeding Officer for UNICEF New York. She recently worked at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where she had originally studied nutrition. She is a mother and a grandmother.

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Product Details

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Pinter & Martin Ltd; 3rd edition (July 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 190517716X
ISBN-13: 978-1905177165
Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1 x 8.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #781,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1329 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Women's Health > Pregnancy & Childbirth
- #1977 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Parenting > Early Childhood
- #75717 in Books > Business & Money

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Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars

5 star		85%
4 star		9%
3 star		0%
2 star		0%
1 star		6%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

Wonderfully educational, painfully true.

By A Customer on August 23, 1998

Format: Paperback

As a breastfeeding advocate myself, I wish that all young men and women were required to read this in high school, before parnethood. This book lets the reader see the conection between money, big business, and formula marketing. The book educates on the vast differences between artifical feeding and human milk, differences that the general population is unaware of. If you want to get fired-up over an issue, this is the book for you.

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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

A real eye opener!

By A Customer on July 9, 1998

Format: Paperback

As someone who had to defend breastfeeding my child, I already had strong views about how society looks at the practise. The first time I read this book (first edition)I found the history behind it fascinating. What really alarmed me, though, was the truth behind formulas and what used to pass as formula! After getting the second edition, I was dismayed to find that nothing had improved in 10 years. This book is well researched an passionate. Be warned! After reading this, you may just become an activist!

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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

motivational rhetoric for the breastfeeding advocate!

By Pamela on November 4, 1999

Format: Paperback

Already over ten years old, Gabrielle Palmer's eye-opening book pioneered some of the breastfeeding advocacy arguments being used by activists today.
Links obstacles placed in the way of breastfeeding mothers to the devaluation of the motherhood role which occurred during the growth of the industrial revolution.
Detailed history of breastfeeding and wet-nursing. Narrates the history of the Nestle scandal, in empathy with 3rd World perspective. A strong advocate for the rights of all babies to be nourished from the breast.
Counters anti-breastfeeding sentiment in today's society. Explains away sexuality myths which hinder women from breastfeeding in public. Terrific book for the breastfeeding professional who wants to boost their arguments!

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

"The Politics of Breastfeeding "is back and better than ever

By Elizabeth Hormann on July 31, 2009

Format: Paperback

"The Politics of Breastfeeding" has been revised and updated for 2009. The author is none too happy about the on-going need for this book. "Twenty years ago when I was writing the first edition, more than three thousand babies were dying every day from infections triggered by lack of breastfeeding and by the use of bottles, artificial milks and other risky products. This is still happening."

In many industrialized countries the issue is airbrushed away with the cocky self-assurance that these risks don't apply to "us". Think again. Powdered infant formula is not sterile and is sometimes contaminated with pathogens such as Enterobacter sakazakii, salmonella and staphylococcus aureus which can cause serious illnesses. The "2002 outbreaks of serious infection and one death amongst babies in a US hospital intensive care nursery" and the deaths of twins in Belgium cited by Palmer, are only the tip of the iceberg.

A 1988 analysis "found that one in five of the US babies who died at between seven days and 12 months of age did so because they were not breastfed". Since that time there has been no official action to reverse this and formula promotion has increased. This is not just down to the skullduggery of industry. It is also about the collusion of governmental bodies and medical powers-that-be which are supposed to have our best interests at heart.

A 2004 Department of Health and Human Services breastfeeding promotion campaign highlighting the risks of artificial feeding was derailed by industry pressure, the solid science behind it - supported by DHHS' own Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - trashed by DHHS upper management.Read more ›

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Awakened the Activist in me!

By Catherine Hallberg on July 31, 2001

Format: Paperback

I didn't understand breastfeeding advocacy until I read this book. Gabrielle Palmer covers all the bases on why we need to protect future generations from the mass marketing of infant formula, and how those products have become so prevalent throughout our society and the world. Covers the Nestle' illegal marketing tactics so thoroughly that I can't even consider buying any of their products. Background on the World Health Organisation's stance on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes made me realise what an all-encompassing public health issue breastfeeding is.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

awakened the activist in me!

By A Customer on April 8, 1997

Format: Paperback

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

You don't know what you don't know about breastfeeding.

By Katherine L. Houseknecht on May 9, 2013

Format: Paperback

I'm a 33 year-old, married, teacher-turned-stay-at-home mom with two kids under age 5. This book caught my attention at the library because I am still breastfeeding my 2 year old and thought it might remind me of the benefits of long-term breastfeeding and get me pumped up again to keep going. At best, I expected a bland book repeating most of what I already knew about breastfeeding and at worst a weird, extremist point of view. I'm pleasantly surprised to be wrong on both expectations. This dynamic and exciting book has turned out to contain an extremely thorough and well researched history of infant feeding practices throughout the ages and societies of human life paralleled with records of infant illnesses and mortality rates within the same societies and ages. Gabrielle Palmer skillfully weaves together first-person accounts, statistics, photos and her own personal conversations with various women and doctors in different parts of the world to form a very compelling, exciting book. Through a systematic presentation of facts and observations, she effectively builds the case that, notwithstanding our numerous medical advances, breast milk still provides THE foundation to good, life-long human health and world economic conservation. Her knowledge of the World Health Organization's activity regarding infant formula and the economic impact of formula feeding vs. breastfeeding is extremely intricate. She understands and explains how suckling works and how industrialized society undermines a woman's glory in breastfeeding, sometimes tragically casting the breastfeeding woman in a disadvantaged or unintelligent light.Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

nice book for expecting mothers

Good for expecting mothers..will come to know hw important it is to breatfeed instead of using market products..

Published 27 days ago by Ashok Pershad

Everyone Should Read This Book

This is one of the most eye opening books that I have read and it really makes you think. It goes beyond just breastfeeding and really make you think of the motives behind a lot of... Read more

Published 6 months ago by AJ

Sorry, can't seem to get into it. It's ...

Sorry, can't seem to get into it. It's really feminist sided, "power to the woman." It explains that men have nipples and the ability to lactate... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Cobra Byte Technology

Politics at its finest inline with Breastfeeding

Good read for breastfeeding advocates but can be a bit "dry"... prefer Milk, Money and Madness better.

Published 7 months ago by currant7

Excellent

Any and all women should read this book. In fact anybody should... Women would then have better support from their partners and families to do what's best for their babies

Published 9 months ago by Catherine Patzen

The book made me alternately disgusted, sad

An honest look at how political breastfeeding is, and the lengths that businesses go to to ensure that their bottom lines are protected. Read more

Published 10 months ago by mom-o-two

The author showed some bias, which was unfortunate, ...

The author showed some bias, which was unfortunate, but the information was well presented in the main - not to mention fascinating!

Published 11 months ago by Aisling Cahill

Five Stars

Great book! Very interesting. It opened my eyes on many things.

Published 11 months ago by misha1misha

Five Stars

Very interesting read

Published 12 months ago by heregoesnothing!

I feel very thankful to author and would highly recommend this book to...

I am in the middle of the book, but feel that I need to write the review already.
I feel very thankful to author and would highly recommend this book to everybody who is... Read more

Published 12 months ago by Tanja Russita