Low-fat dairy can encourage weight gain, say experts

Rachel Reilly, in her article in the Daily Mail Australia (6 July 2013), says that new research indicates that drinking skimmed milk might in fact be making us bigger, not smaller.

For years, people have swapped a litre of creamy, whole milk for a bottle of watery skimmed, to help boost their weight loss efforts.

Government guidelines recommend reduced fat dairy products

Experts, however, say that reduced fat foods are not as filling, which could lead consumers to compensate by eating and drinking more. A previous study found that those who drink low-fat milk had a higher chance of being overweight later in life.

The authors of the study - David Ludwig, of Boston's Children Hospital, and Dr. Walter Willett, of the Harvard School of Public Health - believe that lower calorie beverages do not necessarily mean a lower calorie intake.

“Somehow this low-fat milk has become so entrenched in the nutritional psyche, it persists despite the absence of evidence,” said Mr Ludwig. “To the contrary, the evidence that now exists suggests an adverse effect of reduced-fat milk.”

People who drink low-fat milk have a higher chance of being overweight later in life

Author of a previous study in TIME magazine, Dr. Mark Daniel DeBoer, an associate professor of paediatric endocrinology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine says, “We were really surprised when we looked at the data and it was very clear that, within every ethnicity and all socio-economic strata, it was actually the opposite. Children who drank skimmed milk and 'one-percent' were heavier than those who drank 'two-percent' and whole.”

Companies trying to sell low-fat milk often increase sugar levels and add chemical flavourants to make processed milk products taste better.

Full-fat dairy valuable source of vitamins and minerals

Finally, it should not be forgotten that research has shown that skimmed milk also provides fewer nutrients than whole. Full-fat dairy produce is a source of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K as well as calcium and phosphorus, the minerals that work with vitamin D to build strong bones. Taking the fat out makes it difficult or even impossible to absorb these.

The new study was published in JAMA Paediatrics.

For complete article by Rachel Reilly, go to:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2356806/Could-SKIMMED-MILK-contributing-obesity-epidemic-Low-fat-dairy-encourage-weight-gain-say-experts.html#ixzz39VHTOxX5

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