Parents, do you want your kids to be a pro runner (or model)? Don't give them lots of antibiotics when they are 1 or 2.

I love how the Brojos act like they are concerned about discussing weight with college athletes in a healthy way, then they post a thread implying that they think a possible three pound weight gain would preclude an individual from becoming a professional runner.

Robert - with all due respect, you are jumping to seriously dangerous conclusion. The study mentions children being prescribed antibiotics "7 times." That is a lot during the 1st 2 years, and likely means that the kids were sick often. That's probably the link to increased weight gain at 15, but who knows.

Suggesting people don't give their kids antibiotics at all is just dangerous and horribly short sighted - kids get ear infections, and need antibiotics.

This is also in direct contrast to your articles and threads about eating and weight issues with high school and college runners.

You might have been joking, but don't talk out of both sides of your mouth on the topic of runners and weight.

Generally, I respect you opinion, but as the Walter told Donny in the Big Lebowski, "you're out of your element."

racinej wrote:

Robert - with all due respect, you are jumping to seriously dangerous conclusion. The study mentions children being prescribed antibiotics "7 times." That is a lot during the 1st 2 years, and likely means that the kids were sick often. That's probably the link to increased weight gain at 15, but who knows.

Suggesting people don't give their kids antibiotics at all is just dangerous and horribly short sighted - kids get ear infections, and need antibiotics.

This is also in direct contrast to your articles and threads about eating and weight issues with high school and college runners.

You might have been joking, but don't talk out of both sides of your mouth on the topic of runners and weight.

Generally, I respect you opinion, but as the Walter told Donny in the Big Lebowski, "you're out of your element."

I think there is a fine line here. If your kids are *really* sick, then sure, sometimes antibiotics are the only way to go. On the other hand, you can be like these helicopter moms I work with who run Johnny into minor emergency every time he gets the slightest sniffle. They're giving the kid three Z-pak rounds a year and then they wonder why the kid is constantly sick.

Personally, my son had to take arithomycin when he was about a year old, and I haven't given him any since. He's sick probably less than a day a year (he's 13). I haven't taken antibiotics since I was four or five and haven't missed a day of week due to illness in probably three years. Of course, all of this is highly anecdotal. Perhaps there is a genetic factor, i.e. kids who are prone to weight gain have weaker immune systems.

An interesting study shows that those that are on antibiotics when they are young end up being about 3 pounds heavier than those that aren't at age 15.http://www.wsj.com/articles/study-links-antibiotics-with-weight-gain-in-children-1445451135

WSF wrote:

The study, which tracked nearly 164,000 children in Pennsylvania, concluded that healthy youngsters at age 15 who had been prescribed antibiotics seven or more times in their childhood weighed about 3 pounds more than those who didn’t take these medicines....

Studies have suggested that antibiotics given to children at age 1 or 2 years contribute to increased weight, because reason may be that the the medicines kill off certain bacteria in the gut and leave behind others that break down food differently. That may cause an increase in the calories of the nutrients absorbed.

Your concern was noted. I changed the title of thread form "don't give them antibiotics" and "don't give them lots of". I wasn't trying to advocate that parents not give sick kids antibiotics. I was just suggesting that people think twice before handing them out like candy.

My mom used to send me antibiotics in the mail in college. She'd just pick them up whenever she was in Mexico. Many non medical types assume antibiotics have zero repurcussions.

I 100% disagree this thread is in 'direct contrast' to our effort to get people to not be afraid to talk about anorexia. The proper way to talk about anorexia is not to lie to runners.

I remember once reading with Lauren Fleshman say there is nothing wrong with her saying she doesn't want to eat dessert right before NCAAs. Yet she says something like that and she feels judged as so many people think any talk of weight is bad. I's not.

Let's be honest stuff. Of course runners don't want to have an extra 3 pounds of unnecesary weight. That doesn't mean we want people to be anorexic.

my daughter was born, within in 4 hours was in the NICU for an infection and was "going off" - she had significant amounts of antibiotics in the first 5 days - I'm not sure that saying no to them to save 3 pounds 15 years down the line would have been an effective long term strategy for her health - she'd almost certainly be dead

if its an infection and a infant is sick seeking medical advice is a sensible course of action - as is following it

Ok, I'll bite...

Muscle weighs more than fat, so, you could infer that the kids that had been given antibiotics when they were younger were, in fact, more healthy, because of better ratio of lean muscle to fat. (run on sentence FTW)