British researchers have revealed that mothers who breastfeed their babies at least for 6 months are at lower risk of becoming obese when they get older.

A study of 740,000 post-menopausal women indicated that average body mass index (BMI), a standard measurement relating weight to height, was lower in women who had breastfed comparing to those with no such experience.

Researchers found that every six-month period of nursing reduces a woman's long-term BMI by one percent, according to the findings published in the International Journal of Obesity.

Most of the women taking part in the study had given birth to at least one child and of these, 70 percent had breastfed for an average 7.7 months.

“Our research suggests that just six months of breastfeeding could reduce their risk of obesity in later life,” said member of the study team Professor Dame Valerie Beral, director of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University.

“We already know breastfeeding is best for babies, and this study adds to a growing body of evidence that the benefits extend to the mother as well, even 30 years after she has given birth,” said lead author Dr Kirsty Bobrow, from Oxford University.

Earlier study had shown that breastfeeding can help women lose the weight they gained during pregnancy in the months immediately after birth, however the long-term impact of nursing was unclear.

“We already know that breastfeeding can reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, and this study highlights that breastfeeding may also be linked to weight,” said Sara Hiom from Cancer Research in the UK.

Experts believe such studies can help boost strategies to prevent obesity and its related diseases. (Press TV)