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Dairy products do not help people lose weight

By Ben Wasserman

May 18, 2008 - 10:00:26 AM



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Get n.ewsletter SUNDAY May 18, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- A review published in the May 2008 issue of Nutrition Reviews suggests that recent claims that low-fat diary products or calcium can help people lose weight are more of hype than science.



The review by Dr. Amy Joy Lanou at the University of North Carolina in Asheville and Neal D. Barnard associated with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicines in Washington DC found that 41 out of the 49 trials showed no effects of dairy products or calcium on weight.



Among the rest of trials on dairy products versus weight loss, two showed an increase in body weight, one showed a slower rate of weight gain while the other five showed weight loss.



The authors said the association between use of dairy products and weight loss in some "observational" studies may be due well to other factors such as increased exercise, reduced intake of high caloric foods and increased use of dietary fiber, fruit, and vegetables among other things.



"Our findings demonstrate that increasing dairy product intake does not consistently result in weight or fat loss and may actually have the opposite effect," Lanou and Barnard concluded in their report.



Lanou was cited by Reuter as saying she was not a bit surprised by the findings because milk is intended for growth. It just doesn’t make sense that a food that has lots of calories, fats and protein would help weight loss.



SUNDAY May 18, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- A review published in the May 2008 issue of Nutrition Reviews suggests that recent claims that low-fat diary products or calcium can help people lose weight are more of hype than science.The review by Dr. Amy Joy Lanou at the University of North Carolina in Asheville and Neal D. Barnard associated with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicines in Washington DC found that 41 out of the 49 trials showed no effects of dairy products or calcium on weight.Among the rest of trials on dairy products versus weight loss, two showed an increase in body weight, one showed a slower rate of weight gain while the other five showed weight loss.The authors said the association between use of dairy products and weight loss in some "observational" studies may be due well to other factors such as increased exercise, reduced intake of high caloric foods and increased use of dietary fiber, fruit, and vegetables among other things."Our findings demonstrate that increasing dairy product intake does not consistently result in weight or fat loss and may actually have the opposite effect," Lanou and Barnard concluded in their report.Lanou was cited by Reuter as saying she was not a bit surprised by the findings because milk is intended for growth. It just doesn’t make sense that a food that has lots of calories, fats and protein would help weight loss.







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