Milk for Weight Control?

A new reason to drink milk has been receiving attention in the news recently. Although the research is still in its early stages, some studies are finding that people who consume more calcium, particularly in the form of milk and other dairy products, tend to weigh less as they age. This is good news for milk lovers. And it may even get your teen to think about reaching for a glass of milk instead of a soda the next time he or she opens the refrigerator door.

New Research on Dairy and Weight
In the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, researchers at the University of Hawaii reported on a study that analyzed how dairy and soda consumption affect weight and body fat among a group of teenage Asian and Caucasian girls.
The girls ranged in age from 9 to 14, and consumed about one and a half servings of dairy a day-well below the recommended three servings a day. Most of the dairy consumed was in the form of milk. Girls who drank soda averaged one large (22-ounce) bottle a day.
The authors found that some of the girls who drank milk instead of soda tended to weigh less and have lower levels of body fat, but this association was only noted in the Asian girls, who were already very thin on average. Still, the more milk they drank, the greater the effect on their weight. In contrast, girls who drank large amounts of soda tended to be heavier and have more body fat.
These findings join earlier studies that have shown similar results among other age groups. When factors like age, activity level, and total calories eaten are held steady, more and more studies are indicating that children and adults who consume more dairy products and calcium tend to have lower body weights than those in comparison groups. Keeping calcium levels high also appears to help people on diets lose weight more quickly.