Uh, WTF Time Magazine

[AustinChief]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Katherine Dettwyler, Professor of Anthropology at Delaware University disagrees with you.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...tes/54909940/1

Actually no she doesn't. Garbage articles like that mischaracterize what she says.

Here are some things she actually says...

. One often hears that the worldwide average age of weaning is 4.2 years, but this figure is neither accurate nor meaningful. A survey of 64 "traditional" studies done prior to the 1940s showed a median duration of breastfeeding of about 2.8 years, but with some societies breastfeeding for much shorter, and some for much longer.

It is true that there are still many societies in the world where children are routinely breastfed until the age of four or five years or older, and even in the United States, some children are nursed for this long and longer.

She NEVER says that it is the norm everywhere but here in the US. She correctly states that it is the norm in SOME other societies.

I'd love for someone to tell me WHAT countries this is the norm in? It's certainly not the norm in most(if not all) European countries. Nor is it the case in Russia. Nor in China. Nor India. Nor the middle east. Not the case in Australia. Definitely not the case in any North American countries. Hell, I SERIOUSLY doubt it is the case in South America. That leaves a few cultures in Asia, Pacific Islands and Africa... MAYBE.

I have no problem with anyone's take on the actual issue.. argue whatever you guys want... but throw out a bullshit FACT or FIGURE and I will jump all over that shit. And the line about "most cultures around the world breastfeed until 5 years old" is complete garbage. End of story.