Is Breast Best? by Joan B. Wolf

Author:Joan B. Wolf
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: NYU Press
Published: 2011-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

6

Conclusion

Whither Breastfeeding?

FEW PEOPLE ARE against health. Or freedom. Or compassion. But when one person’s freedom to drive her car at any speed infringes on another’s freedom to travel safely, or when compassion for others leads to a loss of self, the merits of restriction and selfishness begin to emerge. Ostensibly unobjectionable ideals become controversial when advocates become myopic and lobby for their cause with a single-minded zeal that borders on monomania.

Likewise, preventing risk, promoting health behavior, and providing for babies are, in theory, not terribly contentious agendas. They become problematic when proponents do not adequately consider the complex social environments in which they are pursued, as if their desirability could be challenged only by the ignorant or nefarious. Reducing risks to the environment raises manufacturing costs, which makes consumer goods more expensive and decreases buying power. For low-income families, marginal cost increases can wreak havoc on finances, so helping the environment might be virtuous but unaffordable. Advocating healthy choices can create social ostracization by exaggerating personal control and understating the influence of socioeconomic structures on well-being. Nurturing babies and children can lead to a loss of self, particularly when the burden for that care falls disproportionately on one family member. The problem, therefore, is not risk aversion, health promotion, or concern for children but the insular and unidimensional zealotry they often inspire.

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