Milk and Weight Gain

Emily Belmonte and Alana Whittaker are two peas in a pod. They share a lot, including, surprisingly, their disdain for soda and their love for milk. "Love it! I drink it like three times at bedtime and once in the morning." Emily says. "Well, I don't drink milk at every meal but I usually have two or three glasses a day." Alana adds.

They're practically poster children for the Dairy Council, which says drinking milk can be an effective measure to combat weight gain. But does milk actually help people lose weight? If the latest research on kids is any indication, the dictum -Everything in moderation- was never more true.

The latest data out of the archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine shows a glass of milk is not the equivalent of a magic diet pill. In fact, milk calories count too, and the research says drinking milk and weight loss aren't as directly linked as was thought.

The study found children who drank more than 3 servings a day of milk gained more weight than those who drank lesser amounts. But here's the shocker: it wasn't just whole milk that caused the weight gain. Even just 1% milk did it! "This study was a little strange. It was a very small amount of weight and it did not mean that they became over weight." says Cathy Nonas, Director of the Obesity and Diabetes Programs at North General Hospital.

She is skeptical about the significance of the study which looked at drinking milk and weight gain, and found that the skim and 1% milk caused weight gain, but not the whole milk consumers. "I think milk is very important for children and teens. It's a great way to get calcium, which kids notoriously don’t get enough of." states Cathy.

Now, Emily's mom Karen only gives whole milk, in part because of preference. "I tried skim milk earlier and wasn't happy with it at all." grunts Emily. Yet, skim is what the government calls for to prevent weight gain. Alana's mom Ilene tries to go as lean as possible on the milk. 2% is what's served in her house.

"That was the lowest amount of fat I could get away with and still encourage people to drink milk." says Ilene. "I think that what they shouldn't do is, they shouldn’t take home any message that milk is bad for you." instructs Cathy. The government recommends two to three servings per day of dairy, primarily to obtain calcium, even though milk is also a good source of protein.

There's no evidence the extra calcium provides additional benefit, and more than that may actually be giving your kids more calories than they really need to stay fit. So drink up still, but as with anything else, in moderation.

For more information on U.S.D.A. milk and dairy product guidelines, click here