A new article published in Clinical Therapeutics reported that the prevention of diabetes and obesity begins with the prevention and treatment of modifiable maternal risk factors and involves the period from before conception until weaning. The authors discussed that major modifiable variables are characteristics and behaviors that include pre-pregnancy weight, gestational weight gain, glycemia, and intensity and duration of breastfeeding. A large part of the early programming of resistance or vulnerability to age-related diseases is influenced by an integrated balance of maternal hormones transfered to the offspring through breastmilk. It was further stated that this whole-body programming or reprogramming of the infant and the mother may be involved in the dose effect of human milk and may contribute to a healthier body composition and metabolic function in the mother-infant pair following the period of breastfeeding. On the other hand, the pattern and trajectory of weight and metabolic characteristics vary between the active period of breastfeeding and post-breastfeeding. Furthermore, the optimal hormone ranges in maternal circulation and milk need to be determined since extremely high and extremely low concentrations may be detrimental to the mother-infant pair.