D Tuesday, February 2, 2010 metrolife 15 Picture:PA :60second interview Stephen Baldwin Actor Stephen Baldwin, 43, has starred in films including The Usual Suspects. He became a born-again Christian following 9/11. He recently appeared on the US version of Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and was in Celebrity Big Brother on C4, which finished on Friday Interview by Andrew Williams I believe Im called on to share my faith with people. That creates limitations for me professionally Did you enjoy Big Brother? It was a little crazy. Things werent as bad as I thought theyd be and I got the chance to share my experience of my faith with the housemates. What were the worst bits? When Big Brother got tough with us. Theyd take the food away and play with the temperature to make it either very hot or very cold to have an impact on our psychology. Going for 24 hours with no hot water sucks. Whats more difficult, Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! or Big Brother? Im A Celebrity... was way worse. They dont make you eat bugs on Big Brother. Who is more obnoxious, Spencer Pratt or Lady Sovereign? Spencer Pratt, without question. Hes more obviously rude. Its one thing to try to be a rebel, its another to do it when youre full of crap like he is. Were you shoving your religion down the housemates throats? No, because Im sensitive to not n n n n n coming across that way. People usually tell me: Ive never heard anyone share the religious message like you do because you dont force it on me. Theres a lot going on in that house, its a competition and people are vying to be the most dominant. Do I let people tell me to shut up or express my opinion without forcing it on anyone? Its a catch 22. Was Alex Reid sincere about doing that prayer for salvation or was he just doing it for attention? He was sincere in doing the prayer but I explained that its the first step in coming to understanding the Christian faith. He took that step without totally understanding everything else that comes with it. I asked him if he was interested in knowing God better and he said yes. He was genuine but he needs to do a lot more work to understand what it means. Who did you want to win? Vinnie Jones. Hes a great guy, although Ive been surprised by the n n outcome. A news reporter asked me about it during the last election so my comment was just made in fun. Why did you get a Hannah Montana tattoo? My daughters are big Hannah Montana fans and we met her at an event at the White House. She saw a tattoo of my wifes name on my arm and told me I should get a Hannah Montana tattoo. I said if she gave me a guest starring role on her show Id get the tattoo. Ive already got 17 tattoos so another one doesnt make a difference. I got a small one of her initials and next time I saw her I showed her and she nearly fell off her chair. Its unfortunate, Ive lived up to my part of the bargain but shes yet to give me a guest star role on her show. Thats outrageous. I know, its quite the scandal. Im hoping if I generate enough bad press for her shell live up to the agreement. Wont you regret the tattoo in years to come? Never mind years to come, I regret it now. n n n number of people who dont share that opinion. Has your faith had an impact on your acting career? Most definitely. Producers and casting directors have told me people dont want to work with me because theyre concerned about me being so outspoken about my faith. Its a choice Ive made but I believe Im called on to share my faith with people. That creates limitations for me professionally but doors have opened in the Christian film and television industry, which is growing very quickly in America. Why did you say youd leave America if Obama got elected? That comes from my brother Alec saying hed leave the country if George W Bush won the presidential election of 2000. Alec got out of it by saying that as that result was decided by the Supreme Court, Bush technically wasnt voted in so he didnt need to leave the country. Alec got really lucky with that n n features@metroherald.ie Body Matters Food for thought Breastfeeding older children: Its recommended women should breastfeed up to at least two years but is continuing beyond that yucky or necessary? By LISA SCOTT The milk of human kindness: The health benefits of breast milk are widely documented but what about when children get older? Picture: Alamy E mma is a 32-year- old mother who breastfeeds her children aged four and five but says that, contrary to popular opinion, she is just like the rest of us. People tend to think mothers who breastfeed their older children are hippies who dont shave their legs, she says. I am like everyone else I watch reality TV and I like going out with friends. I just still happen to be breastfeeding. Regardless of her protests, many will still find her unconventional habit a bit yucky. Most people I tell grimace at least and that includes other mothers. Ann Sinnott, who has just written a book detailing how she breastfed her daughter to the age of six, says its not as unusual as we think. One Dutch study released last year found 1,213 mothers breastfeeding children older than one year and Sinnotts own research, which questioned 2,040 families and 4,038 children in more than 48 countries, found that 2,877 children were breastfed between the ages of two and 11. Sinnott (pictured) says she has even heard of a case that involved a 16-year-old boy (although this was an unhealthy situation) and of two 25-year-old women who had suffered bereavement and went to their respective mothers for one-off comfort. It probably started with a cuddle and led from there, she tells me as Little Britains Bitty sketch pops into my mind. Sinnott says she continued because of the health benefits (the World Health Organisation recommends up to two years at least and most governments recommend breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months). Breast milk contains carbohydrate, protein and fat and is full of vitamins, enzymes and antibodies which protect against infection. Expressing milk is equally beneficial. Childrens immune systems mature around six, which is when they will naturally start to self- wean, she says. I check with Pam Lacey, head of the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers in the UK, who confirms this is true and says that after the age of seven, children physically struggle to suckle. Breast milk is necessary until then, continues Sinnott. In fact it is so nutritional the Russian government is working on using breast milk as a cancer therapy. The problem, she says, is us: were just not used to seeing breastfeeding past babyhood. Mothers shouldnt stop just because their child develops teeth, says Sinnott. Emma says she has never been bitten and those who use it as an excuse its a common one are simply scared. Its just more myths, she says, probably propagated by formula companies and mothers who feel guilty about stopping. Laura, 29, is still breast- feeding her 16-month-old daughter but when she mentioned this to another mother she was told to get her life back. Incidentally, the woman admitted she had given up after a few weeks. If the teeth excuse irritates Sinnott then my next question will almost definitely rile her. Perhaps, I suggest, her motivation was more selfish did she need to strengthen the bond with her child? Absolutely not. I kept going until my daughter decided she didnt want any more and as a result she is extremely independent. Research has found parents who did the same are seeing the same results. Was it easier to devote her breasts to feeding because she didnt have a partner? Possibly, yes. But even if I had a partner and he didnt like it, I would have continued. Breasts are far too sexualised in the developed world and because older children are seen as miniature adults, women are accused of sexually abusing their children, which is just ridiculous. And what do fathers think? Of course, Sinnott says they are all happy with extended breastfeeding, although one did tell her: She owes me a lot of good sex in a few years. Sinnott believes there is no downside to long-term breastfeeding. She has plenty of anecdotal evidence and research studies to back up her arguments but if the problem lies in societys attitude, she shouldnt expect any change soon. n Breastfeeding Older Children by Ann Sinnott (Free Association Books), 21. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html